After the Thaw
by DesertSailor
Summary: Set directly after the movie, Anna and Kristoff must confront forces that threaten both their love and Arendelle's future.
1. Chapter 1

Kristoff sank into the heat of the hot spring with a sigh. The water washed over his skin and he grunted with pleasure as he stretched his muscles; reaching his arms behind his neck, biceps flexing. The ground in dirt from the day's work began to wash off and leaning into the rocks of the pool he relaxed surrounded &amp; hidden by the thick trees and brush that formed leafy alcoves around the springs, the twilight seeped like purple ink from the shadows under the brush and a few stars glinted through the overhanging leaves. The noise of Sven pushing through the underbrush and munching few pools over drifted through the cool evening air along with the scent of juniper. Kristoff allowed his mind to wander and he found himself thinking of Anna. He tried to force his thoughts elsewhere; the ice deliveries that he needed to line up and schedule before winter hit...anything...he wished it was winter now so that he could work hard enough that all he'd be able to think about was falling into bed exhausted at the end of the day instead of having to battle with thoughts of her. He lectured himself yet again: Princess, Off-limits, Not Yours, Thinking about her only makes it worse.  
Despite that he found his manhood tightening with hard need as he pictured her slim waist and thought about his hands sliding up it to cup her full breasts...Damn it! He needed to get this under control! Before he did something regrettable like kiss her...He'd have to leave Arendelle and not come back if he was stupid enough to break the unspoken rules like that.  
Just then a small snap and rustle made him whip around and half stand. "Who's there?" He got one leg up onto the bank and reached for his pants trying to scramble some order out of the tangled fabric.

Anna stepped out of the trees with a small grin. He inhaled and half stepped half fell back into the pool with a splash. He tried to cover himself, but perversely his desire rode up further in response to Anna's appearance. He sunk lower in the water to hide himself and adopted what he hoped was a unflustered tone. "Anna, are you ok? Did you need something? What's-why-? How are you?" He flushed and his words trailed off.

Her smile half blinded him and he found his thoughts getting fuzzy as desire filled him. She reached for her cloak clasp and as she slid the dark cloth over her shoulders and perfectly formed collar bones his breath caught; as the creamy tops of her breasts came into view he thought he might explode with desire. It took every bit of self control he possessed to croak, "Anna, stop! I- you, we can't..." His words trailed off as his eyes roamed over her; wanted her, knowing he had to stop her, but ready to die if he didn't get to see the rest of what her cloak was shielding. He cleared his throat and tried again, "You can't be here, with me like this...I'm, I'm not...what I'm trying to say..." He trailed off as she stepped closer and sat at the edge of the spring, inches from his trembling hands. Her cloak pooled around her and the curve of her bare shoulders glowed in the moonlight. Her hair was wound up around her head with a few tendrils brushing her cheekbones and neck, everything in him wanted to reach for her, to work his hands though her glorious auburn hair and pull her to him in a blindingly passionate kiss. Reality stuck him, she was too beautiful, too important for him. His rough hands would probably snag in her hair and he'd never given much thought to developing a kissing repertoire that would send a woman to her knees. The truth was he was a rough woodsman, not used to women, much less a princess and he loved her too much to do anything to compromise her. There were members of the court who frowned on the close friendship of the princess and the back country ice cutter (Icemaster General or no) and whispers that a royal alliance for her little sister should be high on Queen Elsa's to do list.

Remembering all that he opened his mouth to protest again and found her lips pressed to his. Her full sweet lips formed to his own and he groaned, they were in for it now.  
He reached for her pulling her up against his muscular chest and as he did her cloak melted away leaving her bare breasts to press against him, with her thighs around his waist and her arms around his neck Kristoff was lost to the world It was only when he found his lips trailing down her shoulder, His hand fondling her full breast and his throbbing cock pressed against her belly that he was recalled to the forbidden nature of this embrace.  
As he recoiled, horrified at his weakness and what he'd been about to do, Anna reached for him and said, "Kristoff, why are you pulling away? I know that you care about me, and it's clear that I love you, why are you stopping?" Her large dark eyes were filled with desire &amp; confusion.  
"Anna, you..." he cleared his throat and hoarsely continued, "you're the princess of Arendelle. There are important plans for you, you're meant to marry a prince and make an alliance and have castles and servants at your disposal. I don't fit into that, and I don't want to take away the future that belongs to you. You were meant for more than an ice cutter with a fondness for reindeer."  
She laughed then, threw her head back and giggled with abandon and joy. "Kristoff, are you mad? Do you think any of that matters to me? Do you think I could ever want anything more than I want to be with you? To have you hold me and know that I belong with you is everything I want." She slipped into the water next to him and tipped her face up to look into his eyes, she reached a hand up and slid it through his thick blond hair and pulled her body close to his. She whispered into his chest, "I am more in love with you every moment; thinking about you going away makes my heart crack, don't do that to me. I can't be without you, you're part of me Kristoff."

His heart throbbed and his arms wrapped around her slim waist. As he pulled her close, he couldn't focus on anything but her in this moment while every guard he'd built up, every sign post and wall he'd enforced telling himself to keep his distance, to not care, cracked and crumbled.  
His knees were weak with desire and as he kissed her with every built up particle of passion they sank back into the steaming heat of the pool. She straddled his legs and as he pulled her close to bury his face in her gorgeous breasts he wondered if you could die of happiness. His hard cock throbbed and he found his lips around her nipple, her back arched and she whimpered with pleasure as he suckled her. Her hips involuntarily thrust and her hair tumbled out of its braids as he grasped her hips and rocked her against his hard manhood. The head of his cock was swollen and aching to sink into her wet warm body, but he held himself back trying not to show how much he needed the release. She sensed his need and resting her hands on his broad shoulders she lifted herself pressing her breasts into his face. The soft down of her flower brushed his cock provoking an involuntary growl from him and as she straddled him just touching the swollen head of his manhood, he made one last attempt at self control and gasped, "Anna!" too late though as the silky hot folds of her womanhood glided onto his tip. There was no thought left in his mind but what her body was doing to his, He half bucked, but stilled himself as she whimpered. "No, it's not bad, I want you." She breathed into his ear. Slowly, agonizingly slowly she slid down his thick length and he groaned. His body took over and he swung her around so her curving form was under his, resting against the grassy bank and began thrusting into her. She arched her back and whispered his name over and over in a rising crescendo. His balls tightened as he thrust and her whispers became moans of pleasure. His cock was so hard and the need to pound into her and empty himself became overwhelming. Not that, some rational part of his mind cautioned and Kristoff tried to pull back but she reached for his face and wrapped her legs around his hips and arched herself into him. There was no going back and he roared as he felt his climax overwhelming him.


	2. Through the Night

As the ecstasy faded and Kristoff came back to himself he anxiously looked down into Anna's blue eyes.  
"Anna, I...are you ok?" He'd never forgive himself if he'd harmed her in anyway. What was he thinking, of course he'd hurt her! He was too big and clumsy, she was probably reeling with the shock of what had just happened. What a moron! An oaf, that's what he was! He'd taken the most beautiful and perfectly formed girl he'd ever know and pushed himself into her most intimate places, handled her like a hay bale and fulfilled his own needs. He was sure he hadn't done this the right way, there were supposed to be flowers, yes definitely flowers and love poems or some other kind of romancing he was sure of that, what had he been thinking? He was just beginning to panic and lose all sense of rationality when she opened her turquoise eyes, blinked, and looked up at him with her familiar mischievous grin, he couldn't help but smile back with relief and overwhelming happiness. He wrapped his arms around her swung her around and pulled her back into the warmth of the spring to hold her close.

Minutes or it could have been hours later, time wasn't something He'd been marking closely since Anna stepped out of the trees, he realized though that Anna needed to be back at the castle before it became too late and her absence was noticed. He pulled away from her and as he did she smiled up at him and said, "Well, that definitely exceeded expectations, and that is saying something considering how many years I've had to dream about being kissed...and...and everything else..."She trailed off with a smile. He looked down and felt himself flushing as a lopsided grin; half proud - half embarrassed, spread across his face. She laughed at his reaction and stood to do a little twirl of joy. As she did something submerged tripped her up and she found herself flying backwards into the water, Kristoff's large hands caught her before her head hit the surface and he hauled her back into his arms.

"Easy there." His voice reverberated through her chest and Anna began shaking with giggles; laughing hysterically on his lap. He shook his head wondering how she'd survived all this time with her impulsiveness and lack of spatial understanding. He'd taken a strong interest in keeping her in one piece very quickly after meeting her and this realization was nothing new to him. His protective instincts were always on high alert when it came to Anna. From the moment she barreled into his life he'd been torn between aggravation and desire all while trying to keep her safe from herself and keeping the obligatory distance that their different stations demanded in place. It had not been easy, at this point he suspected that nothing with Anna ever was, but good God was it worth it.

She reached for him and began to kiss him deeply, running her lips across his in a way that wiped all coherent thought from his mind. He surrendered to the embrace and the the soft night folded in on them, the taste of her mingled in his mind with the sweet night air and mineral scent of the water. He knew he'd always be able to recall the beauty and grace of this moment whenever the smell of a summer evening stole across his senses.  
Still, there were things that needed to be done (like getting dressed) and places that Anna had to be (such as her room) if no one was going know about what was happening between the two of two of them. So reluctantly he cupped both hands around Anna's face and gently pulled back, her eyes fluttered open and focused in on him.

"We need to get you back to the castle," He said seriously, and the weight of the situation and what had just occurred between the two of them came thudding down onto his shoulders. The resolve to protect her from anything hurtful that came because of loving him was forefront in his mind. The first thing was going to be getting her back through the forest and into the castle without anyone seeing her, he'd deal with the rest as it came.  
He lifted her out of the water and onto the thick pad of mossy grass and began wiping the droplets of water off of her body with his clean shirt. The rough homespun and cooler air made her nipples pucker and as he worked the grey cloth up and over her smooth skin and slim legs he found himself distracted, yet again, by her glowing beauty. He mentally shook himself and tried to focus on the task without losing track of his self control. She giggled as the shirt passed over her breasts, then the giggle turned into a breathy sigh and Kristoff realized that they could be here all night if he wasn't careful.

Once she was dry and back in her cloak, which was almost everything she had to put on. ("Anna! You walked down here in nothing but this?!" She giggled at his shock.) Kristoff pulled his pants &amp; shirt on blushing under the look that Anna gave him as he yanked the damp shirt over his well formed chest muscles. He cleared his throat &amp; focused on figuring out the best route to get Anna home. As they walked through the forest their footsteps muffled by the moss &amp; pine needles Anna fell into step next to him and slipped her hand into his own. Walking next to Anna he realized that nothing had felt this easy or perfect in his entire life. The way her hand fit into the palm of his own made him feel like he'd always been waiting to simply walk through the woods on a summer night with her. As a soft smile melted over his face Anna asked, "What are you thinking about?"  
His eyes locked with hers as he answered,

"Just that it feels kind of like I was meant to be here with you, in this exact moment."  
She grinned,

"I feel the same way. I've been waiting so long for this, I didn't know that being with you was going to feel so perfectly natural. It's like breathing or...or something else that you do without thinking about it or needing to know how. It's like that dream where you're flying; you don't have any idea how you're doing it, but it works and it kind of makes your heart sing. " He chuckled at her analogy and pulled her closer.  
Sneaking back to the castle was easier and harder than Kristoff had hoped. There was no one roaming about, everything was quiet and the shadows that flickered out from the town's golden windows made the evening soft and indistinct. The Fjord was calm with a breeze that stirred the water's edge and the guards all seemed to be patrolling other parts of the castle. Despite that, or perhaps because of it Kristoff found himself increasingly distracted as he and Anna made their way to a small side entrance to the courtyard.  
"Anna, Anna! We've got to...hold on! Oh God..." His back pressed against the rough rock wall Kristoff was less and less able to make a coherent argument. The passion with which Anna was applying her lips to his drove out all rational thought completely out of the situation. When she pulled back and looked at him with concern he was gasping for breath.  
"Hmm..." She glanced up the castle walls,

"I guess it'd be best if I went in...before someone sees us?" He nodded vigorously.

"Well, in that case..." She kissed him again, his hands began to roam over her, he was losing it...she pulled back and some realization of the precarious situation was restored to him.

"Yes, yes," he said weakly.

"You need to go. Now, before I carry you out to the stables and keep you there all night."  
There was a knowing grin on her lips and her pert nose took on an impish tilt.

"Alright then, goodnight, and Kristoff?" His heart skipped at the sound of his name on her lips,

"What?" She molded her body into his and tipped her head up to whisper in his ear,

"You're the sexiest mountain man I've ever met."


	3. Chapter 3

Slipping into the castle's shadows, Anna ran through the corridors and up several sets of stairs into the wing that housed her and Elsa's private rooms. The carpet was thick and worn on the edges, all of the sound seemed to absorb into the fibers making it a more intimate and private setting than the echoing halls below; filled as they were with art, statues, and armored suits lining the walls. Peppermint oil from the maid's dusting faintly scented the air and the tasseled edges of the curtains had a soft radiance from the starlight outside. The quiet and solemnity of the hall were totally at odds with the joy that was coursing through Anna's veins. She flung herself into her room sliding the door shut behind her and began leaping and hopping in place hugging herself, while trying to suppress her squeals of glee.

"Well, you certainly look like you've had a nice evening." Anna froze mid jump and turned to face Elsa, who was sitting on Anna's bed, completely composed, with an expression of mild amusement on her face. Elsa cocked an eyebrow as she stood and Anna was suddenly very much aware of the distinct lack of clothing under her cloak.

"Well, nothing too exciting, I just love a warm summer night. It makes me feel kind of frisky!" she blushed and couldn't stop the smile that overwhelmed the calm she was attempting to project.

"So I see," Elsa replied coming to stand next to Anna. Her crisply tailored dress swished with her steps and the smell of lilacs drifted off of her. Her hair, though not as orderly and pinned up as it had been in the old days, was still impeccably dressed and added to Elsa's image of a graceful monarch. She placed a gentle hand on Anna's arm and spoke,

"Anna, I wanted to talk to you about the future, about how we're going to move forward, and what needs to happen in order for Arendelle to be secure." she paused and looked towards the window,

"There's a lot of responsibility. I have to consider the fact that I'm not the most typical of rulers, particularly after the summer blizzard," She swallowed, "because of that I don't think it's too soon to start thinking about strengthening alliances. You're going to be a key part of that. I need you to be an ambassador at the court of your betrothed, whoever we end up selecting for that role, and I want you to have input into the man we select and the country that will become your home. I know you've always dreamed about traveling and having adventures outside of Arendelle, this can be a way for you to do that." She smiled at Anna and put an arm around her. Anna felt all the lightness and joy from the evening evaporate and she bit back her impulse to shout out why she'd never consider leaving Arrendale, or marrying anyone but Kristoff, and why suddenly her heart felt like lead. Anna gave a halfhearted smile as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear,

"Elsa, isn't it kind of soon to plan something like that? I mean we've spent years without each other, we've just started to reconnect and besides Arrendale is so different now that we've opened the gates. I want to be a part of everything that's happening here."

"You will be," Elsa responded, "It's going to take months before anything is finalized and then more than that for the engagement contract to be negotiated and all of the plans to fall in place for the wedding. Don't worry, I'm not going to be sending you off right away, we'll still have time together. You understand though, how important this is?"

Anna nodded unwillingly, she was horrified by everything Elsa had just proposed, but she felt the familiar responsibility to not to upset Elsa or drive her away with conflict. She could hear the echo of her parents saying, "

Don't upset Elsa, She has to concentrate.",

"Elsa's studying, Anna, go play quietly."

A lifetime of suppression. She'd waited so long to have a sister who was fully present in her life. Someone who was more than a locked door that she was willing, at least for the moment, to continue to listen to a plan that meant the end of everything she'd committed her heart to. She'd figure out some way to mollify Elsa, to accomplish what needed to happen to protect Arendelle without sacrificing Kristoff or their future together. Now wasn't the time to try to make Elsa understand though, not with the Hans debacle so recently behind them. She nodded slowly then said,

"Elsa, is it alright if we talk about this tomorrow? I think I'm feeling tired."

"Of course, I just wanted to let you know the direction we'll be heading. We can begin to work out the details tomorrow." Elsa smiled at Anna and gave her arm a last squeeze before walking to the hall and softly closing the door behind her. Anna sank down onto her bed and shook her head.

"Great," she sighed, "Now what?"


	4. The Course of True Love Never Ran Smooth

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters. **

**A/N: **Thank you again to every person who has taken time to give me a review on my writing. It's incredibly wonderful to get your notes and feedback and I appreciate it more than I can properly express. This story has been twisting around in my brain all summer and I finally feel ready to start stringing the bits and pieces that I currently have together. Bad news, I still don't know how this all ends or even who the entire cast of characters are, but it's going to be fun to find out. There's some interesting personalities who've moved into the story recently, I've been getting to know them, hopefully you'll be able to as well soon. Thank you especially to the wonderful fandom I've become a part of, Kristanna peeps you are spectacularly wonderful! ;)

...

Sunrise came, warming the palace and soon after Anna opened her eyes then blinked. Pink, everything was very pink. Why had she never noticed that before? Anna turned her head and looked over the rosemaled, flowery expanse that was her room. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and took stock of herself. Why was it that half of her wanted to leap out of the bed and dance around the room and the other half was ready to pull the coverlet back up and pretend to hibernate? It hit her simultaneously; Kristoff, Elsa. oh no. Anna groaned and sank back down. This was a mess. The same night she decided to move forward with Kristoff into new territory, Elsa came to her room to talk betrothal plans. How in the world this was going to sort itself out?

"Elsa, I'd like you to know I'm going to marry our Ice Master." Anna breathed into her pillow.

"Kristoff, Elsa plans to ship me off on a diplomatic mission to who knows where. Also, in pursuit of that mission, she'd like me to get married." Anna muttered. Yes, both of those conversations would go well. She'd just decided that staying right here for the rest of the day was her best option when a knock rattled her door.

"Miss, your sister requests your presence in the library." No, no! Leave it to Elsa to tackle all difficult subjects bright and early.

"Ummm...actually," Anna paused frantically strategizing, "Actually I'm feeling terrible! Agcccchhhh,...Achooo!" she gave her best impression of a dying goat.

"Please, tell Elsa I think I need to stay in bed &amp; rest." Anna paused hopefully before giving another hacking concerto.

"Miss, are you all right?" came the questioning and concerned voice. "Should I send for the Doctor?"

"No! No, no, no. I'm fine. Really!" Anna sputtered, "I just need to rest a bit!"

"As you wish, miss. I'll inform your sister of your indisposition." the butler said doubtfully.

"Thank you!" Anna halloo-ed before remember to sound sickly, "I mean, yes, that would be very kind." Whew...ok well, that had bought her precisely half an hour at best. She had to get out of here before Elsa came to see if she was well or not and to pin her into an irrevocable engagement. Anna exploded out from under the covers and frantically yanked a dress on. She spun around the room like a child's top as she dressed. Her hand halted above the door knob as she realized that there would be servants and people that she was bound to pass in the halls who would immediately alert Elsa of Anna's vacating the building. Anna reluctantly turned to face the diamond paned windows.

...

Kristoff woke in the hay loft with a sense of wonderment. Last night had been...beyond anything he'd ever dared to dream. Then reality clubbed him like a baby seal on a snow bank. What had he been thinking?! He berated himself as he scrubbed his face and yanked a shirt over his head. What was the next step? Should he go into the castle &amp; formally ask for pardon?

"Please, excuse me. I've accidentally- on purpose deflowered the princess of Arrendale." He snorted and blushed at the very thought. Well, if asking pardon was out he might as well do something useful. He placed his tools in the cart and hitched Sven to the sled. Some time to consider what he'd done would be a good thing, even if all he wanted was go find Anna and kiss her. He slapped the reins on Sven's back and they set out for the mountains.

...

Anna was bruised and breathless when she bolted through the stable doors.

"Kristoff! Kristoff!" She ran past startled horses, slipping on the hay as she went.

"Your Highness!" a groom called as he stepped out of a stall. "Ice master Kristoff set off early this morning." He looked at her with alarm and curiosity. "Did you need something?"

Anna skidded to a stop,

"What do you mean? Where did he go?"

"He didn't say, my lady, but he took his reindeer and sled" the stable lad looked uncertainly at her.

"Oh, oh," Anna breathed, "I just...I needed...never mind. It's all right, I'm sorry to have disturbed you." She turned and hurried out of the stables. Anna rounded a corner and leaned back against the stable wall gasping for breath. What was she doing? Better yet what was Kristoff doing? This wasn't what she'd been prepared for. A serious conversation, yes. Some kissing in the hay; absolutely, but Kristoff gone, who knew where? No.

Anna had wandered through the courtyard for half an hour when she was apprehended by one of the pages.

"Princess Anna, everyone has been looking for you." the young boy said as he hurried up to her.

"Oh, yes. Well I was just," Anna paused, "walking! Yes, I needed to take a walk." She looked at the boy trying to gauge his reaction and if he believed her, but his face was carefully composed.

"Princess Anna, the Queen is concerned and wishes to see you as soon as possible." He gave a short bow, "If you will allow me to escort you?"

Anna felt trapped, but she couldn't refuse, could she?

"Yes, of course," she answered, instead of bolting towards the gates. "Please, let's go." She gave one last look towards the stable and then followed the green jacketed boy up the palace stairs.

...

"Anna!" Elsa turned from the paperwork and documents covering the tabletop and rushed toward her sister. "Kai said you weren't feeling well." She raised one hand to feel Anna's forehead and concern furrowed her brow.

"No, no," Anna protested, "I'm fine really! I just needed to take a walk in the fresh air." She smiled at Elsa hoping that she couldn't see the worry in her eyes.

"Well, I'm glad you're here now," Elsa said, "We have so much to talk about. Half the princes and delegations will be arriving in the next few days, and then we have the welcome ball soon after." She paused to look closely at Anna before continuing. "It's going to be a long process, but there are so many things we need to discuss."

"Oh...oh." Anna said feeling slightly unwell as she looked over all the papers and invitations littering the desk. "That's a lot of paperwork." Elsa nodded and said,

"Yes, but don't be worried, most of this is mainly just for show. The real work will begin when we see the men that are represented by these replies."

"The men, who are coming here. Soon." Anna trailed off and began to feel for the first time, that she could faint.

"Elsa," Anna said quietly. "I wanted to talk to you about something." She trailed off as Elsa looked at her quizzically. "Well, Kristoff and I," she broke off as Elsa smiled and put a hand on her arm.

"I'm so glad you brought him up, there's something I need to mention, You must be careful about the time you spend with Kristoff. I know Kristoff is a good man, but people talk and not all they say is well meant. With the delegations coming we need to be very careful and not give any reason for people to speak idly about the two of you. Kristoff will always be a dear friend, but this undertaking is more important than you know." She finished looking expectantly at Anna who nodded reluctantly as she picked at the edge of a particularly ornate piece of stationery. Elsa tugged the paper away from Anna,

"This is from Henri de Valois, French." She said studying the embossed lettering. "Very wealthy and influential family. It's people like this that we have to keep on the right side of.

"So that's someone you'd like to see me married to?" Anna asked.

"No, probably not him. History of family instability and a penchant for violence, I think we can find someone much kinder and better suited for you, but we have to be careful not to offend the wrong people. This is going to be a balancing act."

"The wheels are already turning aren't they?" Anna asked. Elsa heard the tone in her voice and looked at her with concern.

"They are." She replied. "Is there a problem?" She asked gazing at Anna questioningly.

"No, no problem." Anna said brightly forcing a smile that slipped the instant Elsa turned back to the invitations.

...

Kristoff returned to the palace that evening, his back aching and his mind spinning. The time spent working had been nearly counter-productive. He'd had all the time he needed to think and he'd come up with no solution to the problem of being in love with Anna. The palace walls remained an insurmountable barrier.

"Easy Sven, just let me get the harness off." He sighed and pulled the leather harness off of his friend before resting his head on Sven's shoulder. Sven twisted around to look at him with concern.

"I'm ok, buddy. I just don't know what to do next." Sven snorted and stamped his hoof.

"Yeah I know," Kristoff said, "Just be a man. I'm trying." He pulled the tack off Sven and hung it on the hooks. Sven trotted into his stall and looked towards the oat bucket expectantly. Kristoff was measuring out Sven's dinner when he heard scurrying footsteps and he knew beyond a doubt who was about to round the corner.

"Kristoff! I'm so glad you're back." Anna glowed with exertion as she crossed the distance between them. "I've been waiting to talk to you all day!" She looked up at Kristoff with a mix of happiness and nervousness. He smiled down at her, every worry and inadequacy erased by the way she was looking into his eyes.

"Me too." He said. Then he looked around realizing that anyone could be listening from the shadows. "Why don't we go up to the loft after I feed Sven." Anna nodded in agreement and waited as Kristoff emptied the oat bucket into Sven's trough. They walked up the loft stairs, Kristoff trailing a step behind Anna as he scanned the darkness for any watchful stares.

When they reached the warm and softly lit space Anna turned and flung herself into Kristoff's arms.

"I'm so glad you're back! I have so much to tell you!" He caught her and pulled her close feeling as though a missing piece of himself had clicked into place. Anna stared up at him with such happiness and relief that everything he was worried over became insubstantial and all that really mattered was the fact that she was in his arms. He leaned down to kiss her with all the desire that had built up after a long day without her. Anna kissed him back with a hunger that banished any rational thought. They resurfaced much later with clothing disarrayed and hair pushed into odd angles, hay embedded in their clothes.

"Kristoff I was looking for you this morning. I couldn't find you and then Elsa sent a page to find me and we've been going over plans - betrothal plans - all day. She wants to make an alliance and she thinks the best way to do that is me getting married to some kind of prince or royalty. She's invited delegations from everywhere to come."

"Betrothal." The word caught in his throat like a rock. Kristoff froze, "Alliances, there are men coming here to court you." He repeated dully. Anna nodded regret and anxiety crowding in her eyes. He stood and walked away stunned, but that was how it always was with bad news. The icy water that jerks you awake, the ground unexpectedly crumbles at your feet. Your balance is compromised and you spin, falling heavily against reality with bruising force.

"Princess, yes, and a few Dukes I think." Anna replied. Kristoff exhaled deeply, his back to her and ran a hand through his hair. He turned to stare at Anna who was looking up at him from her seat nestled in the hay.

"They're coming soon, and Elsa wants you to marry one of them?" He asked.

"Yes, yes, but that's not what I'm going to do." Anna jumped up and rushed to his side. "I'm going to find a way out of this. Just because they're coming here doesn't mean that anything is decided. I can be polite, meet them and then send them home. I'll tell them I can't make up my mind- stall for time!"

Kristoff shook his head, "It doesn't work like that Anna."

"It can, it has to." She said leaning against him.

Kristoff shook his head once more before pulling her close and tucking her head under his chin. His arms wrapped around her, sheltering her, making him wish it was this easy to shut the world out. He didn't know what lay ahead, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be as simple as Anna hoped. All he could do was hold her while he had the chance and pray for another storm to freeze the fjord and hold the world at bay.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

**A/N: **The words have been fighting me tooth and nail on this so I apologize for the long wait between updates. It bugs me so much that I can't seem to put a story together in a logical fashion, but that it comes flinging at me in bits and pieces. I have chapters from way ahead done and then about **_three_** deleted scenes for every _**one**_ that actually make it into the story. Aghh. Likes, follows and especially reviews are my life line through the craziness, so thank you to every single person who has taken time to let me know that they want to read the rest of this story. Especially Minnothebunny, you're the best and if I manage to complete this it will be in large part thanks to you. So on to the story and hopefully fingers crossed chapter 6 will follow shortly.

...

The days passed quickly, Anna and Kristoff began to find less and less time in which they could meet or even see each other for more than a few moments. Royal delegations began to filter into Arrendelle; many more than had come for Elsa's coronation. It seemed the potential betrothal of a Princess was a large event for kingdoms far and near. The ships sailing daily though the harbor mouth were a grim reminder to Kristoff of the reality that had descended to claim them all. Elsa needed Anna beside her for an ever increasing number of greeting ceremonies and planning sessions and Kristoff felt less and less welcome within the palace doors as the bustle of preparation shifted the palace and its inhabitants into feverish activity. After the third time of having a footman trail him around the castle sweeping up small spatters of mud left by his boots, Kristoff gave up wandering the halls hoping to bump into Anna. He exiled himself to the stables and brooded over every new arrival.

Kristoff stared up at the palace walls in the early twilight and wondered how everything could change so quickly. A week ago he'd been making love to Anna, now he could hardly catch sight of her before she was rushed off to her next obligation. He sighed and shifted his weight on the wood barrel he was sitting on. The feel of her hair, the way her kiss tasted, and the complete and utter lack of her that he was suffering from, was enough to make him go mad. To add to his discontent and sense of unease there were rumors and gossip circulating that caused him no small discomfort when he ran across it in unexpected moments. He and Sven had been crossing the castle bridge a few days past in a crush of morning traffic, when he'd heard the first whiff of chatter and censure.

"Heard she's in love with some woodsman." A speckle faced apprentice leaning against the stone gate post was saying to a footman who'd come with one of the many royal delegations.

"No couldn' be" The other boy returned. Kristoff straitened on the clapboard bench, his jaw clenched and Sven flicked both his ears forward to catch the conversation. The second youth, swathed in blue and gold velvet swung his small leather knapsack with idle syncopation and said, "I heard there was a prince."

The press of wagons and foot traffic pushed Kristoff's sled past the gates and the rest of the conversation was lost in the clamor. Returning his thoughts to the present, as the sunset slowly ebbed out of the courtyard, Kristoff watched the lights in the castle windows flair up and begin to glow in the half light. The courtyard still bustled, but the pace was beginning to slow as night came on. He thought of Anna, somewhere behind those double paned windows, likely readying herself for another dinner attended by the growing pack of royal buffoons. A group young men was strutting through the courtyard, talking loudly as they walked together. Kristoff didn't need to see their ostentatious clothing and the beribboned medals of rank to know what they were. The abrasive self assurance they carried themselves with was enough to declare their exalted stations.

"What do you think a man has to do to get the Princess's attention?" One of them asked as they passed the stable doors.

"Well I can think of a few things." Another said with an exaggerated swagger. Kristoff ground his teeth but managed to remain seated, rapidly nibbling down the chunk of wood he was whittling with his knife.

"There's only so much time I'm willing to invest, if the lady won't bite I'm off to warmer climes. Didn't want to come all the way here in any case - damn father insisted. I'm sure I don't know what's so important about this tiny backwater at the edge of the unholy north." Another Lord shuddered dramatically to the laughter of his friends as they strolled on.

The current display was only one more in a series of ill timed remarks and unpleasantries. Kristoff closed his eyes, attempting to block out the crowding presence in the castle of scores of men who'd all come with the intent of stealing away the one person he loved. Kristoff sighed and longed for the clear, cold stillness of the mountainside where he could forget the manic noise and scrabble of this nightmare.

...

In the dark stillness after midnight Anna slid down the stairwells and through dark halls, catching her breath every time she heard the muffled suggestion of footsteps. After yet another agonizing night of careful decorum surrounded by men she was finding more and more to dislike about. With their suave and insincere manners too many of them reminded her sharply of Hans and his duplicity. Her winding path led to the inner courtyard and she kept away from the bright pools of moonlight and the few lanterns that still glowed. Her heartbeat began to pound in her ears as she pushed the rough stable door open and the gentle wicker of the carriage horses greeted her.

Kristoff. Despite the difficulty and opposition, every impulse she had still led her, irresistibly, to him. Climbing to the loft Anna found his bed within the inner piles of hay. He was spread full length with one arm outstretched and the other tucked under his chest with his face buried in his elbow. His skin had a warm copper glint that caught the stable light as it made its way through the thick piled hay and his bare back drew her eyes down to where his worn pants clasped his slim waist. Anna wanted to strip her cloak off and burrow into the blankets and straw next to him. She didn't resist the impulse. As she crawled into the hay, Kristoff shifted in his sleep and looped an arm over her, pulling her close. Anna snuggled close breathing his scent in and sighing with happy contentment. Kristoff was here and so was every part of her heart. It didn't matter what the world thought, she was too deeply in love with him to begin to try to find where the she ended and he began.

Kristoff was only partially conscious as Anna's presence overwhelmed him. His pent up desire swayed any conscious thought. It had been so long since he had satisfied himself. Instantly hard and desperate with need, he pulled Anna under him and relishing the satisfaction of grinding his swelling manhood against her. He kissed her deeply and groaned as she opened under him like a flower. One hand tangled in her hair, the other strayed to his belt and loosened the ties the held him. Once he was free Kristoff paused to look deeply into Anna's eyes as he reached for the hem of her skirt. She was clinging to him with desperate love, her hands twining themselves into his hair, the pink of her lips and flushed cheeks glowed in the twilight. He ached with a longing that went beyond his need for physical release. Kristoff claimed her lips with his own, lifting her dress to gently part her thighs with his hand. He was at the gate of heaven when a steady footstep froze both of them, they stared at each other with vexation and worry. There was a belated bleat of warning from the direction of Sven's stall and Kristoff, finally completely conscious, scrambled to his feet hastily reclaiming his modesty as Anna huddled under the blankets. He motioned to her to duck back under the eaves. Kristoff drew himself up to his full height his fists clenched and strode towards the loft entrance ready to tear to bits whoever had just interrupted the first moment he'd had alone with Anna in far too long.

Rounding the stable corner to the foot of the loft stairs a dark haired man was languidly sauntering as he sipped from a crystal-cut glass. He was faintly tan and had deep-set dark eyes that flashed with a sly intelligence in his narrow face. He looked up taking in Kristoff's bare chest, disheveled hair, and furious expression. The man's face quirked in a disdainful smirk.

"They certainly weren't exaggerating when they said Arrendelle was only half civilized. You look perfectly barbaric, good man." He said, taking a sip from his glass. "No maundering vikings in your lineage I suppose." Kristoff glowered as the man laughed at his own joke and began to mount the stairs with unsteady hitch marring his otherwise regal footsteps. "Not that you'd likely have much of an idea about your own parentage, murky guessing even there I would say." The stranger said softly but distinctly as he reached the loft.

"Can I help you, M'lord?" Kristoff asked though it wasn't really a question.

"Not at all, simply taking a stroll, admiring the grounds." He laughed again good natured, but Kristoff felt more uneasy than ever. There was a scent of danger in the air and Kristoff shifted to block the rear of the barn from the man's view. The dark eyes flashed to Kristoff's and for a moment his cold calculation was visible before being swallowed by another sardonic grin.

"I suppose this setup's quite nice compared to what you're used to." he said. "The benefits of befriending royalty, eh?" His smile was broad, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Forgive me for not introducing myself, I'm Prince Henri de Valios of Provence. It's been said that you and the Princess became fast friends during that winter weather. Fighting wolves and snow monsters all the quaint villagers report. Almost like a fairy tale, one wonders what else you were able to accomplish all there way up on the north mountain by yourselves." The insinuation struck Kristoff across the face and he flushed with anger.

"Not at all, not at all good man." the he interjected, absorbing Kristoff's reaction. "You mistake me entirely. I only mean to say that you and the princess appear to be the most particular of friends, but who would not be after sharing such a struggle?" He smiled winningly as he edged around Kristoff to step deeper into the hay. "What a charming loft. You wouldn't give me a tour?" He cocked his head quizzically. Kristoff growled and said,

"I'm not in the habit of walking strangers around my bedroom in the middle of the night...M'lord." He stared down at the overdressed man who had invaded his personal space. The princeling smiled up at him and replied,

"Not at all, perfectly understood." he drawled. His gaze combed the loft, then settled on the rumpled edge of Anna's cloak piled in the hay by Kristoff's bed. The pink and tasseled trim were so out of place in the dark stable that the effect was like a signal fire burning on a hilltop. The man's eyes traced their way back to Kristoff's with an narrowed intensity that made Kristoff's blood run alternately hot then cold. He was caught under the other man's calculation and the hint of cold satisfaction in the dark eyes. Time spun down to a murky sludge. "Well, I can see I've disturbed you," The Prince finally spoke, "forgive the interruption to your evening." He smiled, a hint of menace and satisfaction, resting in the curve of his lips. Turning with a mocking dip of his head he made his way back to the head of the stairway and walked down the stairs with the air of a man finished with his day's work. Waiting until the final footfalls had died away Kristoff turned to see Anna emerging slightly trembling from her hiding place. He raced towards her seizing the traitorous cloak from the hay as he went. He swung it around her shoulders pulling her close and said,

"You have to get out of here. Before anyone else comes." He looked around, listening for any further sign of intruders and attempted to fasten the tie of the the cloak with fumbling fingers.

"Kristoff," Anna seized his hands and looked up into his frantic eyes. "No, he didn't say anything, he didn't know I was here. He would have said something." She searched for some calming truth that would still Kristoff's panic. It had not been easy, hiding in the back of the hay loft, listening to that arrogant man taunt Kristoff. Her heart ached with the realization that the fault line that separated them had re-opened with the unspoken threat.

"No, he knows. You didn't see his face, the way he looked at me. He knew you were here." Kristoff said, his voice grim and subdued. " You have to leave, come on." He tugged her hand and pulled her down the loft stairs scanning the stable and the darkness beyond for watchful eyes. He pulled Anna to the back of the stable down the side passage into the tack room where the scent of leather and and sweet oats hung thickly in the air. There was a small back entrance that led to a side door emptying into the rear of the courtyard. Looking through the doorway to the starlit night he turned back to Anna, fear and longing overwhelming his expression, the plank door swung shut again, allowing them another moment of privacy.

"Anna, there's too much much happening. You shouldn't be seen with me, especially alone." His hand rested on her and for a heartbeat she thought it could be different, that she could persuade him to hold her and forget the threat of the outside world, but grasping her desperately he kissed and then released her. "Go, quickly!"

She looked into the night and back at him, seeing the pain and worry written over his features, she turned to run. She didn't stop until she was safe behind the door of her room.


	6. Dancing with Regret

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

** ...**

Elsa was tending to her myriad piles of paperwork after a brief meeting with the general council when a steady knock resounded on the door of her study.

"Come in." She called. The door swung open and Kai came into the room approaching Elsa's desk with a stern expression. Elsa's welcoming smile faltered as she took in his demeanor. She reshuffled the thick sheafs of paper that crowded the dark green blotter covering the aged oak surface of the desk.

"What is it, Kai?" Elsa asked.

"I'm afraid I have an unpleasant business to bring to your attention, Your Majesty." He said with an apologetic shift of his shoulders. "There's been an unfortunate incident between several of our guests and members of the staff. It involved one of the young chamber maids as well as Prince Fredrick and two of the minor lords from Venice."

"What was the nature of the problem?" Elsa asked.

"It was unfortunately a grave impropriety and what is still more serious it does not appear to have been entirely consensual on the part of the maid."Kai harrumphed uncomfortably as Elsa's face registered her shock. "I'm sorry to have brought this before Your Majesty. It was, however unavoidable due to the identities of the offenders."

"No, it's right that you told me, but I can't confront the men directly. It would be impolitic." Elsa leaned back and rubbed at the steady ache that had settled behind her forehead. "The maids must double up when cleaning the guest rooms. With luck that will be enough to discourage this sort of behavior." Elsa felt her control over the situation slipping. There were far too many things happening behind closed doors and down side passages. It was beginning to feel as though the court had been infested with with a dangerous and malevolent shadow that was beyond her ability to command. Kai shifted his weight and said

"I will keep your Majesty appraised of any new offenses." He left with an apologetic bow. After watching Kai leave, Elsa paced to the windows that overlooked the center courtyard. She looked down at the activity, so many people crossing the cobblestones. They were all her responsibility. She'd brought these men into her kingdom with good intentions, but what did good intentions count for when people who looked to her for protection were being hurt? Elsa set her shoulders and gripped the window casement with frustration as her thoughts ranged, turning up many discomforting facts that till now she'd managed to push aside. Any of the men who had involved themselves in this behavior were naturally disqualified for any sort of consideration in marrying Anna, but what about the others? There was no guarantee of any the other gentlemen being more honorable or of any better character. They might simply be intelligent enough to conceal such unsavory inclinations until they were no longer under scrutiny. This line of thinking was deeply troubling and inflamed all of Elsa's misgivings and doubts to whether the path she'd committed herself, Anna and all of Arendelle to was wise. Elsa turned back to her work, but a shadow of unease had fallen over the bright sunlight that streamed onto her desk.

...

Several flights of stairs above Anna was tracing Kristoff's initials onto the window sill with her forehead pressed against the smooth coolness of the glass when Gerda found her. Gerda had noticed the dimming of Anna's happy spark over the last week and it worried her deeply. Seeing the two sisters thriving, happy and most of all together after the summer storm had been a joy she'd hoped for but never expected to see after the long years of Elsa's exile. She'd watched her two ladies growing up and had worried and and fussed over them almost as much as the King and Queen so she was quick see the dampening of Anna's spirits. After much unobtrusive observation she thought she'd discovered the reason behind Anna's distress. Seeing the way the ice master trailed after Anna and the quick glances exchanged between them when they thought no one was watching, it wasn't hard to guess. Gerda didn't foresee an easy solution, but perhaps with a few rearrangements circumstances would work themselves out for the best. She'd prepared a small tea tray and brought it up to the reading room where Anna was tucked away hiding from the throng of men occupying the main hall and grounds of the castle. Gerda shook her head, Elsa was well intentioned, but this whole rush to form alliances and above all inviting all of these unknown people to the kingdom was unwise in Gerda's estimation. She knew Elsa's first foray into the realm of international diplomacy was fraught with many dangers she could only hope that Elsa had not overreached in an attempt to prove herself as Queen.

"Anna, dear come have some tea." She said to the mournful girl. Love sickness was always strongest in the young Gerda reflected. "Are you ready for the celebration tomorrow?"

Anna shrugged noncommittally and said,

"To be honest, Gerda, I liked it better when it was just us. Before all of the delegations came." she smiled crookedly "I never thought I'd say this, but I'd like to close the gates, at least for a little while." She picked up one of the cookies that decorated the platter and took a large bite. As she chewed Gerda nodded thoughtfully.

"Oh I understand Anna, however, you can't change the path you're on." she said. Anna's body drooped and she struggled to swallow a suddenly stubborn chunk of biscuit. Gerda's sympathetic face lowered look into Anna's eyes and she patted her shoulder. "Not instantly at least, but there's nothing saying you can't give things a push of your own." A silvered envelope slid into Anna's hand. Anna looked up disbelief and hope lighting her eyes. Gerda wasn't saying what she thought she was, was she? With a final pat and smile, confident her hint had been received, Gerda walked from the room shutting the door softly behind her.

Anna stared down at the heavy paper as she turned the envelope over. Decisions and their resulting pathways illuminated in her mind's eye, she knew where she belonged. The question was, which road would bring her there?

...

Kristoff grasped the shiny envelope between his fingers completely nonplussed. He'd never been handed anything remotely like this and though he knew what it was, he still wasn't quite certain what to do with it. He looked up at the messenger boy who was staring at him looking almost equally puzzled at his task of delivering a royal invitation to the stable. Kristoff turned away and ripped the envelope open in a jagged tear.

_Ice Master Kristoff Bjorgman _

_You are formally invited to attend _

The slanted calligraphy danced across the page and Kristoff shook his head in mingled disbelief and aggravation. Was this meant as a joke? He had no idea what Anna, the Queen or whoever else might have sent this was thinking. He didn't even have a set of clothes that were suitable for anything other than a hard days work and summoning him to attend the welcoming celebration was a strange move. He couldn't think of anywhere he would be less at ease. Was this a lesson designed to remind him of his place or an opportunity disguised in silver paper?

Later that day Kristoff made his way down the main cobbled street in Arrendelle half regretting half relieved at his decision to leave Sven in the palace stables. He was fairly certain the shopkeepers would object to an oversized reindeer peering through their store windows or so he'd explained to Sven. He'd left his friend pouting in his stall with an extra carrot to sooth Sven's disappointment. Squaring his shoulders as the painted tailor's sign came into view Kristoff walked through the door to the chime of an old copper bell. He looked around at the unfamiliar interior and stepped forward to the broad counter that was spread with piles of fabric and ribbon. A small man with white tufts of hair sprouting over his ears like carrot tops in early spring came rustling out of a back room, his arms piled with bolts of brocade. He gave a cheerful "Woohoo." The perennial greeting of shop keepers, when he noticed Kristoff's discomforted presence filling the front of his shop.

"What can I help you with today?" He seeming eager and very pleased to see Kristoff.

"I need," Kristoff paused a bit taken aback, "Well, a suit. I think"

The tailor began quivering with excitement, his mustache bristled like an over eager bird dog that had caught the scent as he rushed towards Kristoff whipping out a worn measuring tape in preparation. Kristoff recoiled and backing away from the sudden onslaught of interest, but the tailor seized his arm and forcibly dragged him deeper into the shop chattering about cuts and fabric choices as he pulled Kristoff through the fitting room's door. Kristoff had to duck to avoid clipping his head on the low doorway as he was rushed with considerable speed onto a circular step that was surrounded on three sides by glistening mirrors. Kristoff had never been in a room like this and he saw a glimpse of his own overwhelmed features before the tailor spun him around to face the front of the room.

"My name is Gottfried, my Grandfather opened this very shop in 1764. We've always had a calling to the cloth in my family," the little man chortled as he whipped the measuring tape at great speed around Kristoff's extremities. "No, no simply won't do!" He said with overwrought passion.

"What, what's wrong?" Kristoff asked.

"You must take you shirt off! At the very least." the tailor said, "Your clothes; they're too loose, I can't get a proper measurement."

Kristoff clutched the edges of his shirt sleeves like a reluctant toddler being told to strip for a bath and shook his head stubbornly.

"My good man," The tailor said finally pausing as he looked up at Kristoff his robin bright eyes glinting. "Do you want a suit or not? If so, remove your shirt, if not please stop wasting my time." Kristoff frowned and reluctantly began to pull his shirt over his head.

"Excellent!" Gottfried said with satisfaction. As Kristoff's well muscled chest and arms came into view he bustled away and whipped a small stepladder from behind a potted plant, setting it next to Kristoff before mounting it to have better vantage point. Humming a tune under his mustache as he made precise measurements on Kristoff's torso. "Arms up, please. Quite the wingspan you have there Mr..."

"Bjorgman." Kristoff replied through gritted teeth. The little man paused and looked him over.

"Not the Bjorgman who helped save the princess?" He questioned. Kristoff nodded stiffly refusing to make eye contact. "Well bless and thimble me. It's an honor sir!" Gottfried with excitement nearly toppling from the stool. He gave a hopping half bow perched on the edge of the stool like a bird on a branch causing Kristoff to internally shrivel in horror. "It will be a pleasure to make a suit for you." Gottfried continued. "Will it be for any particular event." His eyes began to dart with excitement. Kristoff shrugged noncommittally and muttered,

"The ball tomorrow night."

"Well," Gottfried said looking at Kristoff with deliberation, his manner calming, "You can be sure I'll do my very best work." He returned to his measurements and began to whistle cheerfully. After a few more measurements and muttered commentary on Kristoff's size and the amount of fabric needed to complete a suit for him the tailor stepped away to write a few notes on his small clipboard with a stub of a pencil.

"I believe that's all I need Mr. Bjorgman. Something simple and understated I think, a man like you would be ill suited to excessive frippery." Gottfried chuckled at his pun. Kristoff nodded with relief and retrieved his tunic from the floor. Redressed in his own shirt Kristoff felt marginally more at ease.

"Come back tomorrow Mr. Bjorgman and I'll have your suit ready for you." He nodded again with good humor and then turned back to his fabric.

...

Kristoff returned for his new set of clothes the next day. The late afternoon was warm with a light breeze that teased and plucked at the shifting leaves. The bell above the door rang signaling Kristoff's arrival and the tailor called his greeting from the back room. Kristoff found him finishing the corded trim along the bottom edge of the right pant leg.

"Almost done," Gottfried said, peering through his spectacles at the minute stitch-work he was applying. "I think you'll find it's exactly what you need." Straitening up from his work, the tailor motioned from Kristoff to come closer. He picked the jacket up for inspection and matched it to the breadth of Kristoff's shoulders. Satisfied with what he saw, Gottfried handed it and the pants to Kristoff before turning to gather up a dove grey undershirt and kerchief. Then he motioned to a privacy screen that occupied the back corner of the fitting room and left Kristoff to dress.

Stepping behind the screen Kristoff shrugged off his vest and tunic before tugging at the insubstantial material of the shirt. He took a deep breath before sliding an arm through the first sleeve. Hitching the soft linen up over his shoulders he found that the fit was snug but true and that his range of motion was not hampered. He continued to do up the ivory buttons and reached for the jacket and pants. Once he was fully dressed he emerged and stared at the reflection greeting him in the mirror. The collar rose high cupping his neck before folding down to its overlapped lapels. The jacket bottom cut away revealing Kristoff's slim waist. It showed to advantage the curve of his chest as it narrowed from his broad shoulders to his belted breeches. The brown of his summer work boots was softened to a dark mahogany that blended with the dark spectrum of the suit's coloring. He turned to see Gottfried watching him from the doorway. The tailor nodded to acknowledge the satisfaction of work well done.

"It seems you're ready for tonight's celebration Mr. Bjorgman. _Lykke til_."

Kristoff thanked and payed the tailor before setting out in the darkening twilight. The day had dawned with a fiery sunrise that lit the underbelly of the clouds with pink streaks. In contrast the twilight tonight was calm and soft.

"_Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor take warning_." Kristoff couldn't stop the old couplet from rolling off his tongue. Living much of his life out of doors, meant keeping tabs on the sky whether he intended to or not. Though it was calm now, a storm was likely not far off.

Kristoff walked back towards the castle feeling stiff and odd in his new clothes. He had to admit the tailor had done well, he didn't feel as conspicuous or nearly as ridiculous as most of the overdressed popinjays he'd seen strutting through town in dress clothes. The charcoal color of the wool was sober and the cut of the jacket clean, but everything was clearly well made despite the speed with which the tailor had completed it. The gaze of many women lingered on the the broad shouldered young man in the dark suit as he walked though town. Kristoff stopped at the stable to slick his hair back in the water trough and straitened his jacket one last time. With an extra carrot tossed to his friend, telling Sven to wish him luck, Kristoff walked with a steady purpose to the palace steps and mounted them with determination that radiated from every angle of his frame. He looked up to the peaked gables and the the deep purple of the dusky sky before walking through the castle doors.

The clink of glasses and silverware against china made an audible counterpoint to the swish of cloth and the swirling heart of the instruments. A waltz was playing as Kristoff entered the crowded ballroom, his gaze moved over the hall taking in the rich tapestries and heavy velvet drapes framing the windows. The entire palace was lit tonight and it teemed quick movement and high hopes. As he edged deeper into the crowd Kristoff saw Anna surrounded by attentive gentlemen and though she politely made conversation, her attention was clearly elsewhere. Her cheeks flushed when she noticed Kristoff making his way toward her. Across the ballroom, overseeing it all with a gracious expression was Elsa. From her perspective tonight was going as well as could be hoped for with a large unwieldy gathering comprised mainly of men from across the globe. Elsa's calm demeanor was arrested by the sight of Anna and Kristoff making their way across the room toward one another. From her position on the dais Elsa could see them drawn together as steadily as a compass pointing to true north. Her alarm grew with every step the two made. They met in the center of the ballroom and though the the entire court was irrupting with chaos, dancing, and laughter, for Anna and Kristoff there was nothing in clear focus but each other. Everything softened to a gentle haze around them as Kristoff took Anna's hand and leaned down to softly kiss it. He looked up and locked eyes with her, she glowed in the candlelight as she stared back at him. For a moment Kristoff allowed hope to race through his soul, Anna's beauty dazzled and overwhelmed him. There was no place in his heart for doubt. They belonged together, the men in this room didn't stand a chance in the face of what they shared. The princes might have the right of birth to allow them to approach Anna, but Kristoff's courtship was graced with a more fervent and powerful claim. He gently stroked Anna's palm as he turned to lead her onto the dance floor. His other hand claimed her waist as she stepped into the circle of his arm. Together they joined the dancers as they swept through the enveloping warmth of the music. For a minute, perhaps two all was well in the world. They stumbled through a few of the steps together, but the fact that he could look down and see Anna's beautiful eyes searching his own and that he could feel the beat of her heart so close to his was magic. Then around them the whispers began as strangers asked who the tall blond haired man dancing with the princess was. Those who knew replied in hushed undertones that it was Arendell's Ice Master, a backwoodsman about whom little was known. Kristoff felt a tap on his shoulder and paused mid turn. He looked over his shoulder to see a stringy young man whose chest was peppered with shiny medals. The man clicking his heels and bobbed a perfunctory bow as he said.

"Please, allow me to cut in." Kristoff looked at Anna for some indicator of whether he was allowed to deck the interloper and continue waltzing. Anna shook her head briefly and took the strangers arm with regret that was evident in her expression. She was quickly spun away leaving Kristoff alone among the frantic motion and intrusive stares. From there it was a matter of the other suitors working together to keep Kristoff from being able to hardly see, let alone talk to or dance with Anna. Every time he attempted to move closer to her a rush of men would converge blocking his path and jostling him aside. Watching the ranks close yet again Kristoff retreated from the dance floor to a side window. He saw Anna as she was swept through dance after dance and felt his hope die a little more with each one. His temper flared higher and higher with each possessive hand he saw grip her waist and each presumptuous man who spun her around the ballroom. So close and yet further and further beyond his grasp. This was a world he had no experience with or knowledge of how to navigate. Finally unable to bear another moment he turned and strode through a small side door into an empty corridor. The cool and stillness of the the side hall was a relief. He walked over to one of the window casements a moment later a breathless Anna hurried out of the ballroom sliding the door partially shut behind her. Kristoff hoped no one had seen her follow him out.

"Kristoff, Kristoff. What's wrong? I had to knock a tray of drinks over onto some poor woman to get away!" Anna whipped herself in front of him, her skirts twisting around his legs. He welcomed the entanglement and wrapped his hands around her waist to pulled her up into the window seat as he pressed his body to hers. Within the arch of the window frame, with his back to the empty hall it felt like the world had finally narrowed back down to include only the two of them. He sighed and pressed his forehead to Anna's, her worried expression eased and she relaxed into the embrace pulling him closer. After a moment Kristoff looked up and outward and gazed at the mountains with longing, life would be so much simpler if he could take Anna and escape to the forest and the places he'd lived all his life. He studied the idea for a moment, no court to circumnavigate, no frustratingly undeserving suitors attempting to steal Anna away. He'd be willing to call a campfire &amp; his rucksack paradise if Anna was sleeping next to him. He knew this wasn't even remotely possible.

"I know," He looked down at Anna with surprise, "It would be better." She answered his unspoken question.

"You can read my mind now?" He asked. Anna smiled and said,

"No, but sometimes almost, you were looking at the mountains like you wanted to be there more than anything."

Kristoff returned her smile and then sighed with soft frustration,

"I don't think that's a path that's open to us." He looked over his shoulder into the dusky hall. The half open ballroom door spilled a band of light, blurred conversation, and a weight of guilt that settled on him. That was where Anna rightfully belonged, not hiding in a dark side passage with him. He turned back to her and softly spoke,

"Anna, I..." His words were interrupted by a throat being cleared behind them and Kristoff instinctively stepped back from Anna. Her pained expression echoed the feeling inside his chest, but Kristoff kept his face composed.

"Princess Anna?" One of the princely peacocks had strutted out of the ballroom and was looking quizzically back and forth from Anna to Kristoff. The tension was palpable. Nevertheless, the very brave, or foolhardy, prince stepped forward past the glowering Kristoff to reach for Anna's hand. Kristoff almost snarled, but restrained himself clenching his jaw shut.

"Princess Anna," the peacock continued, "I believe I have the honor of the next dance with you." He looked doubtfully at Kristoff who glared down at him.

"Unless of course you wish to dance with," he paused, "this gentleman." The prince finished uncertainly.

"No, of course I'll dance with you Prince Hasoff." Anna allowed herself to be pulled back to the sparkling ballroom casting an apologetic look at Kristoff. Kristoff looked away and a hurt expression crumpled Anna's features. Only when she turned away did Kristoff allow himself to gaze after her. She disappeared through the closing door, Kristoff's head dropped and his fists clenched as he remained alone in the darkness.

...

Kristoff was pacing restlessly through the lower levels of the palace late that night when he heard the clink of glasses, laughter, and the comment that was responsible for the debacle that transpired moments later.

"I'd bet the little Princess would give a man a memorable ride," a voice drawled, "She looks as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth, but judging from her complexion, I'd wager she's a little fire crotch." Course laughter rang out of the small sitting room into the hall where Kristoff had halted, rigid with rage and disbelief. Before he could move another cultured voice spoke,

"That's all well and good, but it's nothing to me if she's been giving away the crown jewels to beggars at the back door." Expressions of disgust and shouts of

"Surely not!." had hardly begun to cross the lips of the assembled men when Kristoff covered the hall in two long strides and plowed through the door knocking it off the hinges. He stood for half a moment fists clenched and his breath coming as loud as the blacksmith's bellows while he paused to size up the baker's dozen of princelings who looked back at him with amazement and horror. In the midst of the shocked gazes one cold stare met Kristoff's eyes. It was the dark-haired Henri de Valois who had cornered him and Anna at the stable. In the calculation and satisfaction of the other man's expression Kristoff felt the click of a trap springing into place.

"Who," Kristoff asked in a growl ominous and deep as thunder, "who just said that?" The fire in his eyes should have been enough to warn them, but one particularly arrogant and slightly drunk duke, who didn't take self preservation much to heart, lurched forward and with a sneer handed Kristoff the empty Scotch decanter.

"Be a good lad and fetch us some fresh supply from the reserve." He chortled at his own bravado. His expression changed from merriment to terror as Kristoff pulled his arm back and shattered the decanter on the duke's deserving, but unfortunate head. The room irrupted into chaos and Kristoff barreled forward into the outraged mass. There were several of the princes who attempted to 'put the gloves up' but Kristoff's ferocity overwhelmed them all. Several of the combatants were flung across the room and many more had their eyes blacked and noses broken by a snarling mountain man who seemed more bear than human. Kristoff was in fine form, breaking heads and smashing men through the furniture, when the castles guards arrived, summoned by one of the more prudent men who had crawled from the wreckage to seek help. It required five guards in concert with the remaining upright gentlemen to restrain Kristoff and drag him bodily into the hall. From that point it had been a matter of holding him down until his blood rage had passed. When it did they hauled him upright and marched him through the back corridors to the library where an incensed Queen Elsa waited.

As soon as the guards closed the doors Elsa's icy composure melted and she paced in front of the glowing fireplace with small explosions of wintry sparks blasting from her fists. When Elsa finally rounded on him crackling with anger Kristoff was almost alarmed.

"Do you realize what you've done? This is tantamount to an international incident the scale of which you can not begin to imagine!" Kristoff opened his mouth but her voice rang out, cutting him short,

"No! I've tolerated your friendship with Anna. Allowed you certain liberties, but things have clearly gotten out of hand."

"Elsa?" Both Kristoff and Elsa turned in horror to see Anna peeking past the double door. She was staring at the two of them with concern and fear etched on her face. Kristoff's heart dropped and he couldn't face the prospect of weathering both Anna's disappointment and Elsa's anger over the horrific mess he'd created. He didn't belong here, it was more abundantly clear than ever before. Any hopes he had of claiming Anna or finding a way to cross the gulf between them failed and drowned beneath the bitter despair he felt welling up in his chest.

As Anna slipped through the library doors Kristoff made the only decision he could. He turned to Elsa and said,

"Queen Elsa, I can only apologize for my actions and tell you that it will never happen again. I won't trouble you further." He turned to walk away, ignoring Anna's small cry of pain, and her hand grasping at his sleeve only made him pause long enough to let her anguished expression burn into his mind. The double doors opened and the guards stepped back with a single movement from Elsa. Kristoff didn't stop, didn't pause, most of all he didn't look back.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

**A/N:** I'm only going to preface this chapter with the reassurance that there is light at the end of the tunnel, but we have to travel through dark and strange places to reach it. Thank you to anyone who sticks around for the rough road and especially to those glorious individuals who leave reviews.

...

"Anna, no. Let him go." Elsa called. Anna ignored her and continued to bolt for the library doors. She'd been momentarily immobile with shock and distress as she'd watched Kristoff walk away from her, but now all she wanted was to chase him down and club him over the head with something heavy and demand to know how he could leave her like that.

"Anna." Elsa sent a flash of winter magic zinging past Anna freezing the door lock and handle shut.

"Elsa!" Anna spun to face her sister.

"No Anna." Elsa's face was full of sympathetic regret. "It's better this way. Don't make this worse than it already is by chasing after him. There are people watching and Kristoff has given them enough to talk about tonight." Elsa's mouth compressed in a grim line.

Anna was opening her mouth to protest when a fist pounding heavy wood door interrupted her. The two sisters turned with alarm. Elsa quickly stepped forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Anna and then reached out to dissolve the lock she'd frosted over the door.

"Come in." Elsa said sounding miraculously composed.

A phalanxes of officials and the visiting royalty poured through the doors, several of them carrying torches that spit and cast ominous shadows over the ranks of men.

"Your Majesty," Henri de Valois, dressed in deep red, stepped to the front. "We've been informed that you allowed the man who attacked us to go free." He waited for Elsa to contradict the claim. When she did not a grumble began to run through the gathering. The narrow faced prince allowed the thrum of discontent to grow before speaking again.

"Allow me to suggest my Lady, that this is unacceptable. The commoner has assaulted the scions of the most illustrious families in Europe in an egregious fashion. It can not be allowed to stand." He paused and then stepped closer to the two sisters. "It is well understood that as a woman your gracious and tender spirit can not bear certain harsh realities pertaining to punishment and the meeting out of justice. It is a testament to your femininity, but there is a time for mercy and a time for reprisal. Allow us to deal with the offender." He smiled and Anna shivered with dread at the thought of what this man would do to Kristoff given the opportunity. His voice echoed with an unpleasant, but familiar ring in her mind. Elsa looked at the young man coldly and a blast of arctic air filled the room causing him to flinch and step back.

"I thank you for your concern and compliment," Elsa said, "but I fear you are mistaken. You will find that I am more than equal to the requirements of justice and that I have a strong grasp of the distinction between punishment and vengeance." She stared levelly into Henri's eyes. He gave a short bow but his manner was hostile as he asked,

"Then where, your Majesty, is your justice, what judgement has been handed down against our attacker?" He spread his hands in an open question to include the other lords.

"My punishment is sufficient and fitting to the transgression." Elsa replied austerely.

"Pardon our presumption, but what is the nature of his sentence? I feel it our right, as the aggrieved parties, to know."

Elsa stared at him, disliking this particular prince more and more. She steeled herself and refused to look at Anna when she replied,

"He has been banished. Forthwith and with no recall." Anna buckled and almost cried out, but Elsa stilled her with a hard squeeze of her hand. She looked quickly into Anna's eyes, begging her to hold her composure until the men had left the room. Henri who had clearly been appointed as the spokesperson of the group nodded and said,

"I thank you, your Majesty, but it is as we feared. Your womanly sympathies," he paused and looked from her to Anna, "have swayed your judgement on this criminal."

"Nevertheless," Elsa replied, "The verdict is not yours to determine."

"Your Majesty your response to this attack is woefully lacking in resolve. The seriousness of the ice-master's crime demands a stronger penalty." He turned back to face the other men, his voice rising with outrage.

"We will provide that penalty." The other men shouted their agreement. Elsa's clear voice cut through the uproar,

"My lords and princes are you willing to defy the sovereignty of Arendelle and to create a rupture between our nations simply to assuage your wounded pride?" Her voice carried a measure of cold disdain that made several of the older diplomats pause. The black haired prince however, whirled back to face Elsa and said with defiance,

"Forgive me Your Majesty, but it is you who threatens the accord between us by refusing to surrender a criminal to his just deserts." He leaned forward the threat heavy on his words carrying to where Elsa and Anna stood holding each other's hands for support. His intention was as terrible as a blade gleaming in the firelight. It was abundantly clear that the majority of men and their represented countries would back hostilities if the situation progressed further. This was no longer a room full of disgruntled, spoiled men; it was a powder keg comprised of half the known world. Elsa looked grimly at the assembled men and spoke with a measured confidence,

"I have said it already, I am the Queen of Arendelle and it is my duty and royal privilege to dispense justice within my kingdom. If you are determined to break every diplomatic obligation and courtesy to pursue your revenge I will not stop you, but I will not drag my subject in to be handed over to you. Good evening gentlemen." She nodded to emphasize the dismissal.

Despite the clear signal the men did not disperse, but stood obstinately. The tension in the room stretched tight and several of the men exchanged knowing glances.

"Is there something more?" Elsa asked with a icy calm that was belied by the hard set of her shoulders. Several of the men shifted uncomfortably and then Henri de Valois stepped forward once more.

"Actually Your Majesty, there is," he replied. "There were many rumors about yourself and your kingdom following the summer storm. Upon receiving your invitation many of us expressed concerns over the validity and intentions of your proposal. Not wishing to misjudge your highness we accepted your gracious summons, but forewarned is forearmed as they say, so we took the prudent step of preparing ourselves to ensure that we would not be taken advantage of or defrauded of our rights. Much like Prince Hans." Elsa's eyes dilated at the name and Anna gave a wordless cry of protest. Prince Henri ignored their reactions and continued smoothly.

"We have employed a gentleman to protect our rights and level the playing field as it were." he said looking pointedly at the frosted ice that was creeping across the floor from where Elsa stood. Elsa flushed as though she had been struck and Anna moved to put an arm around her sister as she glared at Prince Henri.

"Forgive the impertinence Your Majesty, allow me to present Magister Rothmeld." He bowed and gestured to the rear of the crowd with a smile that made Elsa's stomach clench. There was something very wrong. The room began to tilt as a wave of nausea overwhelmed her. The men began to part and step aside as someone made their way through the crowd. Through the haze she could see a hooded figure approaching and her sense of overwhelming wrongness intensified. The frost coating the floorboards began to retreat, pulling back, many of the men noticed and began to smile and jab one another in approval. Their faces sharpened and distorted in Elsa's vision taking on a sharp toothed wolfishness. The room felt more like a trap and this meeting like a bear baiting. The cloak of the Magister slid across the floor and filled the quiet with a slithering rasp.

"Your Majesty." The hooded figure said his voice crackling like old parchment. Only the craggy length of his broken nose and the green light that sparked in his eyes was visible under the shadow created by the cowl of his cloak. The intensity with which he gazed at Elsa as he bowed made her skin crawl and the room tilt even further off its axis.

"Magister." She replied faintly. "I don't recall issuing your invitation."

Forgive the intrusion Your Grace." Prince Henri said answering for the hooded man. "We took it upon ourselves to employ the magister's services."

"And what exactly do those services entail?" Elsa asked, speaking more firmly. The Magister's presence and avid scrutiny made it impossible to focus fully on the exchange with Prince Henri, but Elsa attempted to speak with firm authority.

"Simply to guarantee that no magically trickery is practiced and to ensure we were not summoned here under false pretense." The Prince smiled, his smooth manners unruffled by the tension filling the room. "We mean no harm Your Majesty, we only wish to see a successful completion of our intended purpose; that one of us should make an alliance with Arendelle and ensure a peaceful and prosperous future for our countries." He smiled once more and though Elsa wanted to protest, to blast them all into solid ice, the snowy current under her skin felt slippery and impossible to grip. Her head spun and all she was able to manage was a grim nod. Henri de Valios bowed as triumph twisted his features. When he rose from his bow the expression he wore was a smooth mask and he turned to make his way out of the library followed closely by the hooded figure. Mimicking his example the rest of the men bowed and began to file out. As soon as the doors shut Anna cried out and clutched Elsa's arm.

"What are we going to do?" she sobbed. "You can't let them kill him. Elsa, you know they will! I-"

"Yes I know Anna-" Elsa stopped her legs faltering. She half fell, gripping the desk for support and retched.

"Elsa, Elsa!" Anna cried struggling to hold her sister, "are you alright?"

"Yes, no..." Elsa rasped, "I'll be fine in a moment." She pulled herself up and clinging to Anna called for the guard stationed outside the double doors. The sentinel was there almost before Elsa called.

"Quickly send someone to Master Bjorgman, warn him. Tell him to leave Arendelle immediately. The situation is out of control and he is not safe if he remains here." Elsa leaned on Anna who gently helped her to a settee.

...

In the stable Kristoff slammed his saddlebags down onto the the sled and stormed back up the stairs to grab his pack. He couldn't restrain what he felt. His bloodied knuckles clenched as he threw his meager possessions into the pack. He would leave tonight and do what he should have done from the moment he knew Anna was safe and reunited with her sister. He would disappear and allow her to live without the pain of longing for what couldn't be. The memory of their brief moments together, of tangled limbs and shared breath would forever torment him. His heart was crippled and cracked but there was no relief to be found here. He called for Sven as he gathered the leather harness.

...

Silvard the page quivered with fear as he ran. The sound of heavy booted feet pounded behind him in the night. Putting forth a desperate burst of speed he flew through the back entrance of the stable. As he rounded the corner he collided head to chest with the solid form of Kristoff. The impact flung the lithe boy back into a large mound of hay piled within an empty stall. Silvard sat up gasping for breath with hay falling over his eyes.

"Master Kristoff!" He cried as Kristoff set the saddlebags he was carrying down to apologetically lift Silvard out of the hay.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you." He said to the boy as he pulled him upward.

"No, no! There's no time!" Silvard sputtered. "The Queen sent me. You have to leave, now!" Kristoff, misunderstanding, said with heat and pain running through his voice,

"You can tell -" but the page interrupted him,

"No sir, it's a warning I was sent to give. There are men coming to kill you." At that moment the barn door cracked under a heavy blow. Kristoff's head turned toward the noise as he comprehended the threat and shoved the boy back into the hay.

"Hide." he said. Sven bellowed a warning from where he stood hooked to the sled in the stable hall. Kristoff moved toward his friend grabbing his ax from the pile of baggage as he ran. With two sharp blows he cut the harness from the sled and leapt onto Sven's back. The first wave of men scrambled through the doors to see Kristoff mounted on Sven like a knight from a forgotten age. Kristoff shouted,

"Go Sven!" and they barreled down the stable isle toward the onslaught of men. Kristoff brandished his ax with a roar, thrashing and kicking out at the attackers as Sven ran. However, even in the desperate heat of the moment Kristoff could not quite bring himself to use the cutting edge of his ax. That merciful impulse cost him dearly a moment later when one of the men he'd clubbed with the flat of his weapon rose unsteadily and fitted an arrow to his crossbow. The shot was long, with the dim light and the fast movements of the reindeer as it ran through the courtyard. Unfortunately, the man was well practiced.

Focused on striking down any obstacles and staying on Sven, Kristoff did not comprehend the impact or sudden burn of pain that shot through his shoulder. He only noticed when he could no longer freely lift his ax and a sticky trickle made the weapon's handle slick and difficult to grip. Kristoff grunted in pain, but kept his seat as they raced through the castle gates leaving the mob of men behind.

At the outside of town Sven stopped his sides heaving as he twisted his head to look at Kristoff who was sitting upright, but with his head bowed and his limp arm dangling still clutching the ax. His face was pinched and pale with pain in the milky glow of the moonlight. At the edge of the horizon a storm was rolling inland.

"Sven," Kristoff's voice was hoarse and strained, "Get us home." He looked back at the glowing lights of the castle and allowed the ax to slip from his numb and tingling fingers. It fell to the ground with a clunk and lay partially concealed in the undergrowth. A spatter of blood droplets soaked into the wood grain and leather handle grip. Kristoff stared down at it, shock and pain beginning to glaze his eyes. With another worried glance back Sven began the trek to the safest place he knew, carrying his wounded friend as gently as he could.

...

That same evening Mari and Anette, two of the new chambermaids, were preparing the guest chambers for the night. They went from room to room banking fires and closing drapes against any chill the northern summer night might bring. The two girls worked quietly through the rooms, hurrying to finish before the guests retired from the celebration below. A sudden burst of noise caused Mari to peer through the diamond pane glass trying to see what had caused the disturbance. There was a rush of scrambling figures below some carrying torches that flickered and made small cuts in the darkness. A moment later there was a burst of light as the stable doors were flung wide. Mari gasped as she saw a man, clinging to the back of a reindeer, rush through the crowd knocking men down as he raced through the courtyard toward the castle gates.

"Anette." Mari called motioning her friend to look. Anette ran to the window and they watched the violent tableau unfold below them. Suddenly a figure was outlined in the glow of the stable light as it leveled a crossbow to shoulder and took aim. Anette shrieked and buried her face on Mari's shoulder, but Mari could not look away. She watched the arrow fly and then lost sight of it in the darkness. In the next instant the flair of a torch illuminated the feathered shaft buried in the back of the tall man as his mount plunged onward through the crowd. Wounded, but not slowing they raced through the gate and across the bridge. Mari's hand flew to her mouth in disbelief. Then as quickly as it had begun the clamor died down. Anette tugged Mari away from the window and back to their duties. Whatever they had just witnessed had nothing to do with them and their work still waited.

Half an hour later the two girls were halfway down the stairs that led to the scullery when Mari remembered the hearth tongs and brushes left by the last fireplace she'd cleaned.

"Oh, fiddlesticks." The strange event in the courtyard had occupied her thoughts, the rest of her work had been completed in a haze. "I forgot the brushes." She said to Anette who was peering at her over the pile of shirts she was carrying down the stairs to be brushed and pressed.

"You go ahead." Mari said.

"Are you sure?" Anette asked, her voice muffled behind the clothing.

"Yes, I'll hurry." she turned and started back up the stairway.

"Be careful." Anette called. Mari went back to the last room and found the brushes on the edge of the of fireplace. She turned and hurried from the room when the sound of two men speaking in brisk tones echoed down the corridor. Mari froze a trickle of fear running down her spine remembering as she did what had happened to another of the maids a few days past. She ran without looking back for the door of the maid's stairway and ducked behind it. she peered through the cracked edge of the door frame as the footsteps came closer. She recognized the Prince from Provence walking with another man she didn't know who's pale oval face was framed by a blue-black beard.

"Reginald thinks he may have winged him." the bearded man said.

"All the better if he did, it's of no concern if he did not. The ice master is no longer of any interest. de Valios said as they passed Mari's hiding place. "We have our pretext and the Magister has already set the bounds."

"So neither the Queen or the Princess can leave until one or the other agrees to marry one of the suitors?" The second man asked admiration at the ruthless efficiency coloring his voice.

"Indeed." de Valios said shortly. They continued to talk but their words faded into indistinct tones that Mari could no longer discern. She turned and scurried quietly and quickly down the stairway to find someone who would understand what the strange words she'd overheard meant.

...

When Sven and Kristoff reached the valley of the rock trolls Kristoff was slumped over, nearly unconscious, clinging to Sven by instinct more than actual will to keep from falling. Sven began bleating for help his legs shook with the strain. The rush of trolls rolling toward them was a distant rumble in Kristoff's ears and the sharp cries of disbelief didn't register at all.

"Kristoff, Kristoff!" many voices chorused in a distressed echo of their usual joyful greeting.

"Get Grandpabbie." Budda shouted as she reached for her son. Heavy hands tugged Kristoff from his perch and flashes of familiar faces danced across his vision.

"It's ok Sven, I'm fine." He slurred as he gently slipped downward. The world spun and the he clung to the soft press of moss under him. Trying to ignore the ache of simply breathing he lay quietly allowing the activity around him to fade. All at once everything carved into blinding sharp focus as he felt the arrow pull from his back. Kristoff screamed at the sudden agony as his body arched against the pain and then he fell into blessed, black unconsciousness.


	8. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

**A/N: **Nothing really substantial to say except that this was grueling to write. It definitely took me getting to a dark place myself in order to write this. Thank you for the reviews and follows, those encourage me beyond words.

**...**

After the green-jacketed guard raced from the room Elsa began to recover and was shortly able to sit up without Anna's support on the settee. Elsa traced the pattern of heavy brocade, her fingertips stroking the valley and peaks of thread as small traces of frost flowed reassuringly from her fingers. A frown creased her brow as she worried and wondered.

Anna's pacing grew ever more frantic as a feeling of deep unease coated the room like the taste of illness on the back of the tongue. Some time later a light tap caused both sisters to start and turn.

"My Ladies," Kia said as he entered the library through the side door. "Please, there is news I must give and I fear this is may not be the place to do so." Anna ran toward him to grip his arm as she asked,

"Kristoff, is he safe? Did he get away?" Kia's eyes slid away from her's, but his answer was reassuring.

"I believe he escaped the mob My Lady, but where he is now I don't know." Anna relaxed relief clouding her eyes so she did not see Kia's expression as he turned away. He led the sisters out of the library and away from the main halls to the rear warren of passages used by the staff to pass unseen as the performed their work.

After a journey of only a few minutes they found themselves in a compact kitchen in the rear of the palace used only by the household staff. It was cozy and warm with a fire burning in the grate of the small fireplace that was completed by a wide hearth at waist height. There was a tea service set with plain brown glazed cups and pot on the table. It was nothing that would be served upstairs, but comforting in its unassuming simplicity. Gerda was there and she hurried to gather Anna into her arms when she saw the distress and worry in her eyes. The green and blue patterned curtains were drawn over the small windows and the smell of warm bread filled the air. Beside Gerda and Kia there was a small boy with sandy blond hair, the guard who had run from the library, and a girl in the uniform of a maid who had a pert nose and chestnut colored hair coiled in neat braids under her maid's cap.

Kia cleared his throat and spoke to the assembled guard, boy and girl.

"It goes without saying that anything spoken of here is not to be repeated and that we must do our best to protect our ladies." He stared them down with solid purpose as if to infuse them with his own strong feelings on the matter. After a pause he turned back to Elsa and Anna. "There are many things to tell you, much of it troubling." He shook his head and the strain of the night was suddenly visible in the droop of his shoulders. "Much of what has passed is strange, but it is clear that there is danger and no end to plots and intrigue. Mari should tell you what she overheard first." He looked to the maid who gave a slight bob of her head and small smile.

"I wish I had better news to give Your Majesty. To tell truth I don't understand it, but it seemed right to tell someone." She clenched a cup of tea between her hands as the two sisters each took a seat at the little table. Gerda joined them and only Kia remained standing as he glanced back up the empty passageway.

"Tell us." Elsa said gently.

"Well, I was cleaning the guest's rooms tonight when there was a lot of noise and commotion," Her voice trailed off as she darted a look at both Kia and Anna before smoothing her words forward. "in any case, afterward I forgot my brushes and had to go back upstairs, I heard men coming up the hall so I hid behind the stair door and they walked by me talking about a ward or guarding of some kind. They were talking about a Magister? I didn't know what they meant, but they said _'neither the Queen nor the Princess can leave'_," As Mari spoke the words a strange trill went through the room like a web strand being plucked by an errant fly. It vibrated and the gathering looked around all seeing the same question in each other's eyes. Anna shivered and Kia crossed the room to add another log to the fire. Mari spoke again hesitantly,

"They said the only way to release it was for one of you to agree to marry a suitor." As Mari finished a heavy silence fell disturbed only by the crackle of the fire. Elsa frowned, deep in thought as she stared at the little brown teapot. The troubled silence was broken by Kia,

"There's something else," Kia said, "Young Silvard warned Master Bjorgeman before the stable was stormed by those animals, but-" He was cut off by the young boy who piped up his voice wobbly with nerves.

"Master Kristoff told me to hide in the hay and then he jumped on his reindeer and the ran through the men. They knocked so many down!" A hint of feverish admiration colored Silvard's voice.

"Yes," Kia continued, however Mari witnessed the other half of Kristoff's escape and I'm sorry to say it wasn't without cost." While Anna did not instantly grasp the implications of what Kia was saying, Elsa did and she gripped her sister's hand protectively. Mari bowed her head and spoke quickly, as if by speed she could make the words more bearable.

"I can't be sure of what I saw, it was dark and everything happened so quickly, but I saw a man with a bow take aim from the stable doorway. I couldn't be sure, but I think it struck Master Bjorgman. I'm sorry My Lady." Mari finished looking at Anna with pity and concern in her eyes. Anna blinked as though she'd been struck and looked at Elsa uncomprehending.

"No, but it couldn't have been Kristoff." Anna said.

"I'm sorry," Mari said softly not meeting Anna's eyes. "The man who was riding a reindeer was the one the bowman was aiming at."

"Anna, Anna." Elsa murmured her name as she gently stroked her sister's arm. Anna remained paralyzed staring unseeing as waves of fear and horror rose over her. She shook her head to clear it, certain that there was a mistake.

"Please, please..." She said looking up entreatingly from Kia to Elsa to Gerda. If only someone would give her a chance she could fix this she knew. "No." She said with more force in response to the pitying looks. A certainty rose in her heart that a mistake had been made and it only needed to be corrected and straitened for the world around her to flip right side up again. "Kia, you said he got away!" Anna cried her voice cracking.

"Yes, Miss Anna," Kia said, "He did escape, they didn't succeed in stopping him, but Mari saw true and Sargent Jameson-" Kia nodded toward the guard. "Returned from scouting the outskirts of town with this." Kia pulled an ice harvesting ax from a leather wrapping that rested on the brick hearth. The ax was covered with blood, all but the smooth silver curve of the blade. "It's his isn't it?" He asked gently. Anna stared transfixed. The reality of Kristoff injured, maybe lying dead in the undergrowth; Sven would be so sad. A thousand frantic thoughts overwhelmed her as the truth of what she'd been told registered through the disbelief. Pain rose like icy floodwater to cover her inch by inch, extinguishing hope. She stood shoving the chair back to fall with a crash behind her and the room swirled around her.

"No, it's not true." She shook her head in refusal. A desperate need to escape from the close warmth of the little room and the pitying expressions choked her. If she stayed here another minute what they were saying might become true. It wasn't, it wasn't she told herself fiercely. It was a mistake. Elsa reached for her and Anna bolted like a deer, turning to run with all speed away from the awful, horrible lie that filled the air.

She ran blind, eyes overwhelmed with tears and disbelief. She crashed at full force into the edge of a stone wall and spun off into a crumpled heap. The image of Kristoff broken and bleeding would not leave her. It drove her back up, to scramble on all fours until she could gain her feet in another wild dash to outrun the knowledge. She ran until she reached a cramped set of stairs that burrowed through the outer wall and down to the rocky strip of shore that bordered the fjord. She exploded out from the stone wall into the stormy night like a meteor and gulped the fresh sea air. It wasn't true, Kristoff was alive, he was safe. She knew it. A blind hope had overcome her. Soft gusts of wind pushed at her fitfully, the scent of rain heavy on the air, but the buffets of wind were only small teasing creatures, heralds of the storm yet to come. It was the blackness of a night sky overwhelmed with clouds, no stars or moon to relieve press of darkness. The roll of the ocean pounding the sound wall overwhelmed the sound of Anna's sobs. A stroke of lighting forked and illuminated in silver the mountain's outlines against the black maw of the unending ocean. Anna scrambled closer to the water as the rumble of thunder rolled out over the fjord. The thought of Kristoff injured, in pain and lost in the storm made her heart tremble with panic and the desire to do something. She had to find him. Unthinking, she plunged forward until her foot crossed the edge of damp sand and touched the cresting wavelet. Then a shock of heat and flaring green light flung her back against the sand and rocks. She landed with heavy impact and lay stunned. Her head ached and she reached back with ginger fingers to feel a small trickle of blood through her hair. She must have hit her head against a boulder. Catching her breath Anna rose to her feet unsteadily. Wincing from the sharp pain she reached tentatively toward the sea searching for what had flung her back. As she stepped closer Anna felt the tingling edge of the spark and pressure. Rage filled her and she struck out with both fists wanting to break and crack. The flash of light and force sounded again thrusting her back. Anna staggered, her throat burning with held back screams as the wind whipped tendrils of hair across her face. She paced the sandy edge trailing her hands through the air to find the edges of the net that held her in. It extended all the way across the rocky shore and as far as she could reach.

She'd worn a track into the sand and was soaked through by the rain and sea spray when Elsa and Kia found her. Elsa gently reached for her; both lost and exhausted Anna clung to Elsa and allowed herself to be led back to the castle.

...

The minutes and hours ticked by and the castle grew still. In a corner of deep darkness a pair of green eyes gleamed. Magister Rothmeld breathed deeply, tasting the faint scent of the Queen's magic like a rare spice on the air. Her magic flowed with the power of a glacier fed river in spring. Standing in the same room he had felt the pulse of it, strong and pure. Patience, he had cautioned himself to keep from reaching out to touch it. It was enough for the moment to feel its response to him, like ripples in a pond after a stone was thrown into its depths, without overwhelming her defenses.

Feeling the changing tide in the night wind he rose and paced forward to find the place that would fulfill his requirement. It was necessary to wait until the darkness had reached its deepest point and the moon had set behind the clouds. There were things that could only be summoned and forces that could only be invoked at this mercurial depth of the night. He had spent many long years and walked many dark paths to gain the mastery he now possessed.

Reaching the deepest subterranean depths of the castle, the Magister found the location he sought. Places that had known violence or horror always retained a lasting stain, like blood in the weft of fabric that would never come clean. For those who sought such a site, it was a place of power; a thinning of the veil and the ability to distort the web of reality was easily within reach. Rothmeld's narrow tongue flicked out, tasting the air. The smell of fetid water and decomposition reached him and he allowed his power to uncoil and stretch out into the void. Finally, he felt an answering response. He drew back as a pair of slitted eyes, glowing in the darkness, met his own.

...

Upstairs in the cool quiet of her room Elsa awoke with a shuddering gasp. A feeling of paralyzing fear swept over her as she huddled under her blankets. She listened intently straining for whatever noise had woken her, but there was only silence. After a moment her breathing began to slow. Exhaustion gave way to sleep and sleep to uneasy dreams.

When Elsa woke again the pale edge of morning light was leaking through the curtains with the grey, dim consistency of used dishwater. There was a chill in the air. Elsa shrugged on her embroidered dressing gown pulling thick braid free of the collar. She padded across the hall to Anna's room and gently opened the door. She silently peered through the dim light, not wanting to wake Anna if she'd managed to fall asleep, but there was a slight tremble in the slim form curled under the duvet. Elsa walked around the bed to where Anna lay facing the gabled window. She was lying with her hands curled under her cheek, tears steadily spilling down her face. Her eyes were dark with pain, ringed with purple-blue smudges and her lips were chapped and bloodied from where her teeth had made gnawing indents through the night.

"Oh Anna." Elsa said as she saw the marks of a night filled with sorrow and self incrimination. Sitting next to her sister Elsa tenderly stroked her hair. Anna caught Elsa's hand in her own and spoke, her voice hoarse and broken from crying.

"Elsa, where could he be? I don't even know if he's alive."

"He is." Elsa said fiercely trying to reassure Anna with certainty she didn't have. "He's strong and he has Sven. He'll be alright. I know it but, Anna, I'm so sorry. This is my fault. I knew you cared about Kristoff, I didn't know it was this deeply," She gestured to Anna's shattered state, "but I should have. Please forgive me, I'm going to make this right." Anna reached out and they held each other close. Elsa sat with Anna, cradling her until Anna's eyes closed and she fell into an exhausted and fitful sleep. Elsa slowly untangled herself and tucked the coverlet gently around Anna. She returned to her own room and dressed with grim determination, coiling her braid up and placing her small diadem into the creamy folds of her hair rather like a knight donning armor. She could not see all the forces assembled against her, but she could feel their presence. After seeing Anna's pain, Elsa was ready to attack and defend, but first she needed to understand the nature of the binding that had been placed, and more troubling still; why she had felt her magic slip away from her grasp in the presence of the cloaked figure.

"Magister." Her lips mouthed the name and an unpleasant spark burned her tongue. Her body quivered and momentarily quailed with the sense of unease that had not abated since last night. Then she recalled the broken look in Anna's eyes and steeled her resolve.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

**...**

After she finished dressing Elsa checked Anna's room once more before going to attend breakfast. Uncertainty flowed through Elsa as she made her way downstairs. One hand gripped the ornate carved handrail that girded the central spiral staircase. She followed its majestic sweep onto the main floor. No sign of her misgivings or the steady hum of her intuition showed in her expression. Outwardly she was calm and gracefully assured as she walked to the Great Hall where breakfast was being served to the guests. Her eyes scanned the room looking for any sign of Henri de Valios or the spectral figure of the Magister. She quickly found Henri, the central figure, in the midst of a boisterous group of men, but there was no sign of the Magister. Nevertheless, Elsa could feel his presence like a cold wind on the back of her neck.

'Nonsense,' she scolded herself as she crossed the room to her place at the head table. 'You're just unsettled and worried about Anna. There's no need to concoct night terrors hiding in the shadows. There's more than enough to worry about from a purely political perspective.' Her inner lecture finished as she sat down and motioned the men around the hall who had stood at her entrance to do the same.

'What about the binding around the castle?' a small, troublesome part of her muttered. 'That's not imaginary.' Elsa shook her head and reached for a hard boiled egg from the blue serving bowl near her place setting. 'There's something dark at work.' Her intuition whispered once more before subsiding. She was left anxious and lacking even the small amount of appetite she had possessed when she first came downstairs.

Elsa retreated to her study after the decidedly unsatisfactory breakfast, declining several offers to walk in the garden. She excused Anna from the same invitations, on the grounds that her sister was indisposed, and sent Gerda to watch over Anna to ensure she wasn't disturbed. It shouldn't technically be necessary to have Gerda safeguard Anna, but there was a new boldness in many of the men's manners, dating from last night, that recommended caution. Sitting behind her desk Elsa's mind continued to wander from the paperwork and official business that covered her desk. There was a niggling uncertainty that would not allow her mind to settle on her work. Finally, she pushed her chair back and moved to the heavy bookshelves that flanked both sides of the study. She poured over the leather bound spines looking for old books inherited from her father on magic and elemental lore. Pulling several from their places she carried them back to her desk to rifle through, searching for any trace of information that would illuminate the difficulty she and Anna faced.

Some time later she was interrupted by an explosion of obnoxious laughter. She rose from the heavy carved chair to peer out the study door. Three overdressed young men were wandering the corridor drinking and carrying on. Elsa's nose wrinkled with distaste, was there anything more repellent than idle, spoiled young men? Especially when their only purposed was to draw the attention of the world with their noise and indiscretion. Elsa yanked her head back into the study and shut the heavy oak door with a snap. Disgruntled she returned to the dusty books and flipped over several pages. Nothing she had read allied any of her fears or imparted any understanding. As much as her rational self might wish to deny it, there was something amiss. All she'd been able to discover were vague and unsettling hints and references to other works of scholarship that dealt with darker subjects. Elsa sighed, there was nothing for it. The kind of books these texts referenced would not be kept in the main library. There was a series of vaults that housed all of the old manuscripts and records dating back to the middle ages. Any hope she had of finding out who, or what, the Magister was and the nature of the binding he had placed on Anna and herself rested there.

...

Elsa crept down the stairs in the dark of the night. She'd waited long hours after supper, listening to the rabble of princes as they drank through the castle's supply of wine and spirits and ordered the servants about. The noise had finally begun to die down at two o'clock, but Elsa hadn't dared to leave her room for another hour. Now she was shaking slightly from a combination of nerves and fatigue as she walked down the hall, pausing to listen every few steps. Cold didn't register with Elsa, but the combination of dread and unease that she felt, perhaps this was the closest she'd ever come to feeling cold.

In theory Elsa could go anywhere she wished, this was still her domain, but in practice whenever she left her study or room all day it was no more than a few moments before several princelings attached themselves to her, following wherever she went. She could ask Kia to search for the books and hope he wouldn't be stopped, but that was too great a risk with no guarantee that he could find what she needed. If Henri de Valios or the Magister realized what she suspected, the cat and mouse games would be at an end and Elsa was not prepared for what she feared she might be facing. Not yet in any case. For now she would act in stealth, put forward a show of compliance. As long as the men believed there was a chance of securing her and Arrendelle through marriage they would focus on advancing their own suits and continue to attempt wooing both her and Anna and though she'd seen no sign of the Magister since his introduction at the meeting last night, she could not shake the sense that he was not far.

Elsa's robe swished over the carpet as she rounded a corner to trail down a flight of stairs into the southwest wing. All of the oldest manuscripts were kept in a series of vaults which were shrouded in dust and housed in the oldest parts of the castle. medieval torch brackets hung from the walls cobwebbed and rusty with age. A stale scent corroded the night air as Elsa groped her way through the entrance of the first vault. There was a small shelf just inside the door and Elsa reached out, gingerly searching for the small lamp that was customarily kept there. Her hands grazed the smooth glass and she fumbled for the striker to light the wick. Her hands found nothing but wood and tangled webs. Elsa peered into the darkness, holding her breath to listen for any movement. She had to be able to see to find what she was looking for. Was it worth the risk of using her magic? She silently debated with herself; she was here, everything was quiet, she had to know. Her mind made up she spun her fingers summoning the spark and blue glow that was the beginning of snow. Her pulse raced and a flicker of joy caught her breath, but with that rush of exaltation the sense of something awakening and raising its head to sniff the air shuddered through Elsa causing the glow to sputter and die down. Danger, danger; something's awake, her breath shuddered. She shook the sensation away, there wasn't time to entertain night terrors, she needed to move quickly. The glow cupped in her hands illuminated only a small part of the night, shadows and strange shapes crowding close as she walked through the vault looking down the isles and stacks of tattered paper. She moved deeper and further back looking for any indication of what she was searching for in the archaic texts. A steady drip of condensation echoed along the walls of the chamber provided a rough metronome to the passing moments. Pausing to blow a layer of dust from the spines of several tomes as she squinted at the brown curling script, she was too absorbed to notice that the dripping had progressed to a tap.

She was examining a likely treatise, _"Disquisition of the Unknown" by Ferrellian_ when she felt more than heard the slither of dry skin across the flagstones. Her heart began to pound and the small glow she held went out. Something was in the vault with her. Elsa stood paralyzed as she heard the presence pause to sniff the air. It was smelling for her she realized, her skin prickling. She silently backed further into the gloom clutching the last manuscript she'd picked up to her chest. The sound of hissing breath reached her ears and she turned to silently sprint deeper into the cavern. She stopped several rows back and listened again. The air was thick and no noise met her. Elsa crouched down biting back a sob. Only silence held any form of protection from whatever was stalking through the corridors, searching for her and her magic. Forcing herself up, Elsa scurried further down the row. She faintly saw the arched entrance to the third chamber, outlining the black void within and paused uncertain, but the sensation of something creeping down the isle towards her drove her forward. There had only been one occasion when she'd visited this series of halls and she had an indistinct memory of a small side passage that connected to the corridor that ran to the main entrance. If she was wrong, there would be only one way out from the deepest room. She plunged forward a numbing panic making her legs feeling soft and useless with dread. Elsa darted through the sagging stacks directly into a thick cobweb strung between two shelves. She clawed at her face swallowing a wail of terror as she looked frantically behind for any movement. She rushed on and was almost to the outer edge of the paper maze when the sickening noise of something scrabbling through the manuscripts flooded her ears. Elsa ran with every ounce of strength she had, sobs bubbling over her lips and, thank gods yes, the corridor was there! She bolted down it desperation giving her wings, but it wasn't fast enough as she felt something snag the trailing edge of her robe. She did scream then and instinctively reached for the magic flinging darts of razor ice behind her. Some of them must have struck their target because a gurgling howl rang out echoing off the stone walls. Elsa sprinted the last few yards and then tripped sliding through the stone arch to the outer hall. She dropped the book and raised her hands spraying thick jets of ice up to seal the doorway. Elsa waited, panting, for something monstrous to slam itself against the barrier and attempt to claw its way out, but nothing did. Elsa stood shakily, the corridor and stairway were no less ominous for the silence. She bent to pick up the book from where it had fallen and with one last look at the chamber's sealed opening she fled up the stairs.

She didn't stop running until she reached Anna's room and crawled under the coverlet to lie trembling next to her sister. Anna held her until the choked sobs stopped, but neither of the sisters could deny that something dark had come to live in the shadows of the castle.


	10. Disquisition of the Unknown

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

**A/N: **I'm not sure where this story is going, it began as a romance, but there are strange things at work &amp; I will readily admit to not being fully in control of it all. I hope that there will be some who enjoy this journey. I know in my bones that there is fluff ahead, we will get there. Hang in there and if you leave me a review, I will bless your name forever.

...

After the fear had faded enough for Elsa to stop shaking Anna released her and reached for the heavy tome that had slipped from Elsa's arms as she scrambled onto the bed. The binding was ragged and cracked at the edges but the ornate script on the cover was embossed deeply into the heavy leather and unfaded despite its age. Anna brushed at the thick coating of dust with a fold of her nightgown. She began to trace the heavy engraving with a finger and asked,

"Was this what you were looking for?"

"Maybe," Elsa replied. "I'm not sure. It was what I had in my hands when I ran. Let's look." She reached for the candle on Anna's bedside table and struck a match. The candle flame flared into a warm ball of light that lit their faces with soft brushstrokes of gold. Anna loosened the ties on the fabric of her canopy releasing the heavy rose-hued velvet to shelter the candle from any drafts. They huddled together and pulled the warm quilt up over their shoulders as Elsa clutched the candle and turned the cover to the title page. _"Disquisition of the Unknown" by Ferrellian_. The title page was embellished with inky vegetation twining along the border, a combination of heavily spiked thistles and hemlock branches. Turning the page Anna mouthed the chapter titles and Elsa paged through the heavy parchment, unsure of where to read first. There were old woodcut illustrations covering many of the pages showing twisting shapes clutching struggling human figures. Elsa shuddered.

"It's feeding off them." Anna said horrified as she pointed to a particularly disturbing print. Elsa slammed the book shut causing the candle flame to gutter as she pushed the manuscript away.

"Elsa, that's not what was chasing you...was it?" Anna asked her face paling.

"I don't know." Elsa said softly wrapping her free hand around herself. "I never saw it. I could only feel it chasing me." The candle flickered again though there was no wind. Anna gingerly pulled the book back toward herself and parsed slowly through the pages as Elsa stared into the dark surrounding them. After Anna had turned through three-quarters of the book, finding more disturbing descriptions and images she came to a chapter entitled "_Contego_".

"Elsa, Elsa, look," Anna said tugging at her sister. "That's Latin isn't it?" Elsa peered at the word before nodding.

"Yes, it means shield or defense." Elsa looked with renewed interest at the book as Anna read the first paragraph aloud.

"_Where magic alone may fail. Succor and defense may be sought in the farthest reaches of the North. For those who, with courage, would sail the ice bearing sea and climb to the highest peak of winter's heart; Svalbard and its inhabitant holds the key._" Anna trailed off and looked to Elsa who was teasing the tail of her white-blond braid through her fingers meditatively. After a moment her eyes met Anna's and she answered,

"That sounds more promising than anything else I've found, there's a problem with that though." she trailed off for a moment before continuing. "We have no way to leave Arendelle or even the castle. We're trapped Anna."

...

The Magister was enraged. He had given specific instructions to guard the vault. It had been a precaution, he hadn't expected the ice Queen or her sister to search for answers this quickly. Despite his forethought, the Queen had preempted him and slipped in and out of the one place that might harbor knowledge that would undo his work. He needed to know what, if anything, she had found. With luck his sending had chased her from the vault before she'd discovered anything of value.

He tracked her through the long isles and towering stacks of books, tracing her footsteps using senses that would not, strictly speaking, be considered human. He almost missed the empty space where the outline of the missing manuscript was visible in the heavy lines of dust. It was the same spot in which the Queen had realized she was being stalked. Her fear was thick in the air, marking the spot like churned up snow in an otherwise undisturbed field. Rothmeld breathed in her terror, relishing the panic and dread. It only served to whet his appetite. He was about to continue his search when the missing text pricked his notice. He swept his gnarled hand over the empty space feeling it's loss like an empty socket. His attention flickered behind his body feeling the approach of the creature. Wariness in dealing with such a being was a prerequisite when such an association was formed. Still keeping one part of his senses trained on the malevolent force he reached out to discern what sort of book had rested here. When the answer trickled back his eyes snapped open, green pits burning with fury. Dark spark dripped from his fingers causing the books to smoke and flame. She knew, or would know. The particulars mattered not. What did matter was that she had found one of the only sources of information that would rob him of his tenuous hold over her magic and kingdom. He ground his jaggedly edged teeth, causing a small trickle of dark blood to cover his lips. He should have ferreted out the manuscript and destroyed it long before it had the opportunity to come to light. A disquieting snarl echoed behind him as his mind rapidly ticked through the information he had gained. With a gesture of power he snuffed out the flames eating through the books. There was an acrid smell and drifting smoke left behind. This changed many things. He would need to act quickly to circumvent a disruption of his plans. The princes would protest, but the Magister dismissed them as an inconsequential obstacle, easily dealt with. They were all weak, over-sure of their own importance and greedy. A potent combination of stupidity and self aggrandizement. A few might struggle when they realized he was more than a slavering hound on a chain to be used to menace the Queen into submission, but the time in which they could free themselves from his hold had long past. They would see who was master and who the slave.

He turned to watch the creature sloughing up the isle toward him. The corporeal form more warped and hideous when he'd last seen it. Its body had elongated and twisted around the wound inflicted by the Elsa's ice spark. It was difficult to look directly at it for any length of time, the human eye rejected the impossible, unnatural curves and angles of its form. A dangerous, somewhat unpredictable servant. One not easily reconciled to being bent to another's will, no matter the purpose of promised reward. Nevertheless, Rothmeld's hunger and dark talent allowed him to master and harness the creature for the time needed.

"Come," he said, his voice echoing like rough gravel in the chamber. "We have much to do." As they walked his shadow merged with the misshapen guise of the creature, forming an unclean monstrosity.

...

"Kristoff." A heavy hand bounced off his forehead, jarring him out of the heavy sleep he'd been unable to break himself. The large blond man was naked to the waist, resting in a nook of thick moss under a rocky overhang that had sheltered him from the rain. There was a dark red knot of scar tissue, only half healed, covering his right shoulder. His eyes fluttered and a thick palate of green and grey filled his vision. Blinking again the view sharpened until he could distinguish between the rounded granite of a rock troll and the verdant green of the undergrowth. He groaned and stretched his fingers hesitantly. There was something he needed to remember, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of what it was.

"Kristoff!" The heavy tap struck again drawing his wandering attention. "Kristoff, you have to wake up. Anna needs you." Anna, now that rang a bell in his decidedly fuzzy brain. The bell became a chorus of of clanging alarms as the last remembered events fired through his mind.

"Anna!" He yelled and attempted to bolt upright. A stabbing pain ripped through his shoulder and he dropped back into the moss.

"Hold, wait, hold on!" came the exasperated voice in his right ear. "Not like that! You'll rip all the healing you've done to shreds. Easy. Slow." Kristoff carefully turned his head to see an irritated Grandpabbie and Budda glaring at him.

"Sorry." he said sheepishly. "Ugh." He groaned again. "What happened?" He asked as he shifted his weight slowly.

"You mean after you rode in here half-dead on Sven and scared us all to rubble?" Budda asked her glare unabated.

"Yeah." Kristoff coughed pulling his legs up underneath himself. "After that." Budda shook her head, clearly still furious and Grandpabbie answered.

"I healed you as best I could, which is not all the way. So you must move gently for the next few days!" He looked pointedly at Kristoff who was twitching in the moss trying to get his limbs arranged so he could sit up.

"All right, all right, yes, but what is happening in Arendelle? You said Anna needs me?" The frantic edge returned to Kristoff's voice.

"Yes," Grandpabbie said, shaking his head heavily. "I'm afraid she's in danger and needs you badly. Which is why we woke you before you were fully healed. There is an evil that has come to roost in Arendelle and it holds both Anna and her sister captive."

"What?" Kristoff asked as he propped himself up.

"There is a creature and a presence that clouds my sight, but anyone with eyes to see could sense the net that is drawn close around the castle. Anna cannot escape without your help, Kristoff." Grandpabbie said as he watched the injured man lever himself up into a nearly sitting position. "They are bound by a very specific curse," he continued, "Anna can only be freed from it with your help."

"What do I have to do?" Kristoff asked.

"What you must do will become clear when you reach her, but Kristoff you must be careful. There is something dark at work." Kristoff carefully drew his legs up and looked at Grandpabbie, who's expression was cracked and worn with worry. Kristoff staggered briefly as he stood and then steadied as he gazed west in the direction of Arendelle and Anna. She needed him, everything else faded before that knowledge. It gave him the resolve and strength he needed to take his first step.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I in no way own any part of Frozen; the characters, location etc. belong solely to Disney and their fantastically talented story tellers. I am receiving no compensation or financial benefit from the writing of this story. It is only for personal entertainment. Please no suing or legal retribution. I am only paying homage to an amazing story and characters.**

In the valley of the trolls Kristoff prepared to leave. After he'd regained the ability to stand and walk unaided, he limped to the small cavern that served as his home when he stayed with the trolls. The space smelled of musty corners and wet stone after the recent storm. He pawed stiffly through a rumpled pile of furs and blankets stacked at the foot of his makeshift bed, looking for a change of clothes. His shirt had been ruined when the trolls cut it off him and the pants he wore had seen better days with all the stained blood and rips. Finally, he found a patched grey shirt and pants without holes in the knees. He stripped the dirty clothes he wore off and kicked them into a dusty corner. Stretching down to fit the fresh pants over his feet was more painful than he'd anticipated and he stifled a groan between his teeth. He sat with a thud that further jarred his injured shoulder and laughed bitterly. It didn't bode well for his survival, or Anna's, if he couldn't even manage to dress himself. He rallied and made another attempt, ignoring the stabbing pain, finishing several minutes later with a sheen of sweat covering his face and his pants quite possibly on backwards. Still he hadn't been forced to call his mother to help dress him. He shook his head and muttered to himself,

"Get it together Bjorgman." as he stood. Kristoff was gathering small useful items into a ragged pack when he realized with a rush of despair that he no longer had his ice harvesting ax and aside from an old hunting knife, he was without a weapon. This was a definite problem. He was struggling for a solution when a rap on the rock entrance to his cave called his attention.

...

Kristoff stumbled after Grandpabbie as they followed a little-used path that threaded its way deep into the mossy outcropping of boulders and past gurgling jets of hot spring water that kept the valley temperate in even the coldest winter.

"Where did you say we were going?" Kristoff asked as he wrestled with the overlapping pine bows that blocked the trail for anyone taller than the average troll.

"I didn't." Grandpabbie replied, uncharacteristically aloof. They came to a craggy tumble of boulders jumbled in heavy disarray. Grandpabbie deftly navigated the the rocks while Kristoff less gracefully tripped over several. A gap between two large slabs became visible and Grandbabbie walked through the jagged opening while Kristoff had to crouch and awkwardly hobble. The entrance was shielded by a heavy overhang of draping lichen that brushed Kristoff's shoulders as he passed. Once he'd made it through the opening Kristoff looked up to see a crumbling stairway that plunged downward into the rock face. The darkness was heavy, but strange glints of light, like the heart of multifaceted gems, gleamed from the corners of the rough-hewn rock. The fade of sunlight that bled through the heavy greenery provided enough illumination to light the first series of steps before they disappeared into the gloom below. Grandpabbie gathered and lit a troll lantern that began to glow with a blue-green phosphorescence. The light bobbed from a long wooden handle as he began to pick his way down the stairs. The lantern illumination bounced over the stone surfaces and dimly lit the path ahead. As they walked down the old stairway, cold drafts of air brushed by coming from the heart of the mountain and soon surrounded the two figures as steadily as the darkness. The underground stairway was carved out of solid stone, but occasionally the passageway would intersect with a natural cavern, opening up into gaping dark spaces that were jaggedly edged with stalactites dripping down like candle wax frozen in time. Through the gloom, Kristoff could see the faint suggestion of other pathways snaking off into the darkness.

Some time later, it could have been hours or days, Kristoff was unsure; the outside world had faded with the light and time had become an unreliable rhythm. There was a strange trick that the cavern had begun to play, making Kristoff stumble and look twice when he caught sight, out of the corners of his vision, of the old troll moving steadily ahead. Kristoff would shake himself and the illusion would fade only to return with the suggestion that his adopted grandfather was growing in stature. Kristoff was overcome with the idea that he would need to look up to see Grandpabbie's eyes. They continued to trudge downward and Kristoff began to think ruefully of his soft moss bed above. Heavy echoes had been following them from Kristoff's nail-shod boots, but as they went further the noise faded until they were traveling in a muffled silence. There was a cold smell of damp earth in the air and frost began to form on the uneven surfaces of the rock. The stairway began to lose its shape and definition as large sections of it gave way to crumbled disorder and loose boulders were strewn over the remaining steps like a giant's game of marbles. Kristoff began to drift in exhaustion until he was almost sleepwalking. Suddenly Grandpabbie stopped short and Kristoff realized they had reached the bottom of the nightmarishly deep stairway. A carved archway stood ahead and Grandpabbie walked steadily through the opening gesturing to Kristoff to follow. They found themselves in an underground chapel. It was carved with graceful twisting forms that curled over three crumbling thrones. The thrones were empty, but there was the sense of presence that made Kristoff look around for the peering eyes he could feel at the back of his neck. A low hum rumbled through the chamber and the feeling of watchful anticipation increased causing his hair to stand on end.

Suddenly, the stone dais was no longer empty but commanded by three figures. One was a woman, neither young nor old, with glimmering lights bound through her hair and a harp clasped in her graceful hands. Her eyes were wise and sad as she gazed at Kristoff. Another of the seats was occupied by a warrior with a helmet on his lap and a shield that rested on the edge of the dais. There was a sheathed sword laid in front of him and his expression was condescendingly amused. The third throne was filled by an old man who held a heavy manuscript and quill in his hands. There were scrolls piled by his feet, a few had unrolled to show dim markings that seemed to swim and move across the parchment. There was a fourth apparition, without a throne who stood before the others. Kristoff thought the fourth specter might be a robed man, but his eyes were so bright that looking directly at him was impossible. It was this presence that spoke,

"What do you seek?" it asked, sounding like the crash of an avalanche cascading over a cliff edge. The words were difficult to pick out for Kristoff's ears, but the sense of overwhelming power required no translation.

"I seek the signs." Grandpabbie replied, his voice echoing in the chamber.

"Whom have you brought?" The cascading voice demanded.

"One who is worthy." Grandpabbie answered motioning Kristoff forward with one hand.

"We will judge." The voice answered. "Come forward." It called to Kristoff. For the first time he could feel the intensity of the questioner being directed fully onto himself. It made him want to shrivel inside his clothes, duck behind his grandfather- anything to avoid the terrible penetrating beam of intelligence that now measured and weighed him like a bushel of wheat. He forced himself to stand firm and look up into the eyes of the gathering. As he did a sudden blast of wind raced through the chamber snuffing the lantern and plunging everything into night. The wind tore over Kristoff ruffling his hair and causing him to squint his eyes. Out of the wind came a voice that echoed with the sharp bite at the back of the north wind and the pained loneliness of a wolfish dirge. The noise was immense, cutting through him.

"Your name." It demanded.

"Kristoff Bjorgman." He gasped through gritted teeth, struggling to make himself heard inside the maelstrom. As quickly as it had come, the wind died down. In the stillness a flicker of red flame spit upwards. It juttered through a crack at his feet and enveloped him in stinging heat. Kristoff could see its fiery glow reflected in the eyes of the warrior, who leaned forward to watch him writhe within the heat.

"What do you desire?" The flame snapped and clawed as it questioned him. Kristoff struggled to form an answer or even a coherent thought. He had no idea what was required so he opened his mouth and roared the truest thing he knew.

"To save her." Anna's face danced behind his clenched eyes and he felt a rush of painful longing. At that, the inferno dissipated and he was able to breath again. He gulped in the cool air and twisted around attempting to gather his bearings. The cavern was empty and still. Then a soft glow like starlight on a moonless night began to shimmer. A cool, gentle voice murmured in his ear,

"Are you certain? What would you give?" Kristoff spun looking for the voice, but found nothing. Then a gush of water spilled from a dark chasm and began to pool on the chapel floor. Quickly the water was running over his boots beginning to fill the space. Kristoff looked for the doorway through which he had come, but there was nothing. No opening remained, he was sealed within the stone. He sloshed forward through the rising water and clawed at the stonework looking for some gap. There was nothing to be found and the water swept over his shoulders, his feet leaving the floor as he was carried, struggling to the upper ceiling of the underground chapel. He gasped drawing in one last full breath of air before the water sealed over him and he was pressed against the cold stone. He struggled against the swiftly moving current, pounding his fists futility against the hard surface. Finally his breath failed and against his own will he gulped in a smothering blanket of fluid that choked and filled his lungs. His mind grew fuzzy and his body wandered unfocused, as the lack of air took its toll. This was death he thought as a sense of peace and warmth enveloped him. The desire to surrender and allow himself to drift was overpowering. All the physical pain and worry that had burdened him since he awoke lifted. There was nothing he needed to worry about now.

'Except Anna,' some traitorous part of his heart whispered, disturbing his tranquility.

"What would you renounce to save her?" The gentle voice questioned. "Your own peace...eternity?" Kristoff could suddenly see the stands of time spanning out in front of him, glistening and beautiful in the dusky light. Droplets of humanity slid down the fibers only to slip free and drip into the star speckled universe. Every fiber of his soul longed to do the same and join the ever shifting tides. He struggled weakly with the desire, but then Anna, her joy and sweet smile filled his mind. She needed him. Inch by slow inch he pulled himself back from the brink and mentally answered,

"Her. I choose her." He shouted to the unseen voice and the the unending cosmos.

"Very well." The voice replied, sorrow echoing within it. Kristoff struggled and thrashed, aware again of his physical form and his body's burning need for air. The flood began to subside and his head broke the surface, gulping in a strangled gasp. His shaking legs crumbled as the water drained, dropping his weight unsupported to the rough floor. Grandpabbie was suddenly by his side, patting him gently and carefully checking his wound as Kristoff hacked and spewed the water from his lungs. As the liquid emptied from the chamber, Kristoff saw that the daises were empty and the feeling of watchful scrutiny had diminished. He looked down and noticed a long deerskin wrapped parcel being steadily uncovered as the last few inches of water drained. He poked it hesitantly. It had not been there until just now, he was certain, but it seemed solid enough. Reaching forward he began to tug the leather lacing free and unrolled the the wrapping to uncover an old ax. He shook the soggy hair from his eyes and reached slowly for the wooden handle. The ax head was silver chased with strange designs that curled into the aged metal. The blade was balanced by a narrow spike whose wicked point suggested the ability to stab and uncork a man from his armor like a lobster from its carapace. It had been forged for war yet it still managed to blend together into an elegant whole. As his hand closed over the wood he felt the perfect balance, and hefted it gingerly. It felt strange for a moment, then settled into his hand as if it had been designed for his grip. Coming to his feet he swung it experimentally and the honed edge sliced through the air with no resistance. Grandpabbie looked up at Kristoff with grave expectation. Kristoff stared at the twining forms that snaked over the weapon with a sensation of familiarity and foreknowing. He stepped forward spinning the ax between his hands realizing, without understanding why, that he knew how to slip under an armed opponent's guard to disembowel or otherwise incapacitate. He shrugged the uncomfortable knowledge away and turned to look at his grandfather.

"Where did this come from?" He asked. The old troll sighed heavily and answered,

"Where all such things come from and return to once their time is past. Only to come again when they are needed." He turned and began to walk back toward the passageway. He paused in the doorway and said softly, "It is a burden I had hoped not to lay on you Kristoff, but it has become clear that we must act." Kristoff looked down at the ax still resting in his grip, then knelt to gather the scabbard and belt that lay within the deerskin wrapping. He belted the strap around his waist and then settled the ax into the sheath so that it hung at his side. It's weight felt right and strangely the ache in his shoulder eased minimally. Looking around once more at the empty space he felt the shiver of a cool touch on his forehead like a benediction. He shook away the feeling and strode after his grandfather, mounting the stairs two at a time.

...

Anette was finishing the night's work in the scullery. It was late and she was tired. The fire had died down to a bed of glowing embers and the lamp whose light she was sewing by began to gutter as it reached the end its oil. Sighing, she set aside her work and straitened the cap over her bun of straw colored hair. Lighting a small candle and setting it on a brass holder she turned to walk down the dark corridor that led to the the storerooms. Her shoe heels clicked against the flagstones sending small echoes down the passageway. Anette pushed the heavy wood storeroom door open and as she did the foul scent of decay drifted out. The candle flame blew out with a whiff of smoke drifting in the draft of cold air from the storeroom. A feeling of unease burned down her spine and the girl backed away, the slight click of her footsteps sounding unnaturally loud in the darkness.

.

A piercing shriek rang through the night. Shrill and desperate with a twisting edge to it that turned the stomachs of those that heard. The silence remained for a moment as half a dozen breaths were held and many sets of ears strained to hear what followed in the darkness. There was no further noise until the bustle of the six to eight servants, whose bedchambers were a passage over from the storerooms, clattered from their rooms and the pounding footsteps of the guard stationed in that wing of the castle rattled down the steps. The servants and guard searched for the source of the disturbance, but nothing seemed readily amiss. It was not until they found the puddle of what could only be blood and a snuffed candle toppled next to the spreading pool, that some hint of what had passed was understood.

.

The Magister stared dispassionately at the scullery maid. Her blank eyes stared out into unknown vistas as the blood steadily dripped from her torn neck across the bright strands of hair that had been tugged free of its pins. Messy, that's what it was. The creature had brought him a suitable offering, but had woken half the castle doing so; and the body had been mauled in the process. He curled his lip with displeasure. The Magister regarded the stiffening corpse with disgust. Almost unusable. He pushed his robes back and set about harvesting what remained of her life force, shaking his head in quiet fury as he did so. More forceful methods would be employed to keep the creature in check and attentive to his commands.

.

Later that night, in the shelter of the nearby woods, the assembled princes cowered in fear before the cloaked figure whose power had called them from their beds. His voice cracked like raw lightning over their heads causing them to flinch and shudder in dread over what they saw in his eyes. There was no possibility of dissent, they had sold their souls in blood to the devil. He wove a spell of power and persuasion over them until their eyes grew blank and small flickerings of the flame that blazed within himself was lit within each of them. In a single night, the offspring of half the noble houses of Europe had been enslaved to a force of nightmares.

...

Kristoff and Sven had traveled quickly through the night and the next day. The sun was just beginning to set, casting long shadows through the trees and a heavy fog began to seep up from the tangled roots and brush covering the track. The road they traveled was marred with deep ruts. The sun sank and the purple twilight became complete as the shadows expanded and blended with the mist until everything was swallowed by an unrelenting dimness.

The snap of a dead branch made Sven's ears twitch and swivel as his nose came up to sniff the air. Three bodies melted out of the trees their eyes glowed with unthinking hatred over slack jaws. Kristoff stopped, unsure of what to make of the three apparitions. As they steadily approached his uncertainty faded. He fingered the ax head strapped to his side and released the blade from its leather clasp in one smooth motion. Gripping the handle he hoisted it and stood his ground against the approaching figures. The mist arched overhead darkening between the tree trunks in thick strips. It wound its way around the men's legs and swirled as they walked, like currents in an stagnant stream. As they closed in Kristoff noticed their garments, though torn and muddied, were of the finest quality. Looking into their faces he realized that he had seen these men strolling languidly through the palace in Arendelle. What had brought them out to roam like a pack of wild dogs through the forest? There was no more time to puzzle over the strangeness of it as the first man lunged with a crudely gripped dagger in his hand. The second followed as Kristoff parried the first blow and stabbed inward, his longer reach proved an advantage. The third circled around to attack from behind. Sven pivoted and lowered his antlers with a bellow as he menaced the third man with his sharp tines.

The battle was as short as it was brutal. Within moments one man was gasping his life out in gushing bloody spurts, while another limped through the underbrush cradling his wounded arm as Sven harried him from behind. The third lay still. Whether dead or unconscious, Kristoff was uncertain. He drew a deep breath his shoulder burning. The ax was heavy and alive in his grip the carved grooves on the handle clasped his hand making the blade feel like an extension of his arm. Sven returned from his chase and looked at Kristoff, worry clear in the reindeer's brown eyes. Whatever had brought these men here to attack them it was a troubling sign of the state of things within the castle. Kristoff wiped the ax blade against a clump of ferns and strapped it to his side. He approached Sven and swung himself up onto his friend's back. There was no time to waste.

...

They clattered over cobblestones at the edge of town. The streets were still and empty, an odd thing this early in the evening. A few curtains twitched as they passed, but no one came out to challenge them. They moved quickly to the northern edge of town unnerved by the silence. Without intending it, Kristoff found himself in front of the Tailor's shop. The wooden sign creaked in the breeze.

"Come on Sven." Kristoff said as a hopeful thought struck him. They wriggled down the small side alley until they reached the rear of the store. Kristoff knocked hesitantly on the rear door and waited. He glanced back at Sven with worry creasing his expression. This was a risk.

Without warning the door popped open a bare inch and a twitching nose protruded.

"Yes?" a voice asked.

"Uh, Mr. Gottfried, I'm sorry to disturb you. It's Krist-" The door snapped shut with a rattle. Kristoff stared at it nonplussed and shrugged as he turned back to Sven. The door rattled once more behind him and the flew open to reveal the little tailor who looked anxiously about. A heavy tartan dressing gown was wrapped neatly around himself and he squeaked with shock when his eyes met Kristoff's.

" !" he yelped. "We thought you were dead." His face was grey in the twilight and his small tufts of hair stood at attention waving over his startled face like small anemones unfurling in an ocean current. "Quickly, quickly!" Gottfried motioned, "Inside." Kristoff walked through the entrance then looked back at Sven.

The tailor groaned with a pained expression and said,

"Yes, I suppose the reindeer too." Sven bound forward and began to squeeze his way through the doorway. "But please mind the fabric!" A muffled Gottfried gasped into the wriggling wall of fur that was Sven. Once they were all inside Gottfried snapped the door shut and bolted the four silver clasps securing the entrance.

"These are dark times." He said in answer to Sven and Kristoff's questioning expressions. "Dark times indeed." He repeated with a sigh. Bustling forward he led them down a wood paneled hall lined with portraits of varying age and artistry, all composed of men who bore a familial resemblance to Gottfried. Without exception, the portraits brandished needles, thimbles, and other implements of the sewing trade. Gottfried paused in front of one of them with a cheerfully exuberant man wearing a measuring tape around his neck and plunging a pin into a dressmaker's mannequin. His blue eyes had the same lively spark, and his hair the same tuft like quality that Gottfried's had.

"My father." Gottfried said with a proud tap on the embellished edge of the frame. He then shepherded them into a sitting room that had a cozy fire blazing in the grate. Sven was forced to lie half-in, half-out of the the room, his hindquarters left in the hall as the rest of the room was so crammed with squashy armchairs and sofas that there was no place big enough for him to sit. Kristoff found himself thrust into a tall backed armchair and a saucer of tea pushed into his unwilling fingers.

"Well ," Gottfried said as he poured his own cup of tea, "I can guess as to why you've returned. It's more a source of wonder to see you alive at all." Gottfried settled himself into an armchair across from Kristoff. It was so stuffed with pillows and cushions that Kristoff was amazing the tailor was able to fit himself into the confusion of fabrics at all. The armchair itself was such a violent combination of puce and sickly orange that Kristoff could hardly bear to look at it. Kristoff leaned forward in his own chair and asked the tailor anxiously,

"Do you know what's happening in the Palace? Are Anna and the Queen safe?" Gottfried frowned his forehead wrinkling like a shar-pei's jowls as he answered,

"As far as anyone outside the castle can tell the Queen and Princess are safe, but," he paused, "there are strange rumors. Some of the palace staff have fled and there are whispers of something dark hunting the castle at night. I don't like any of it." He said and shook his head, clearly disturbed. Kristoff stared at the smaller man as an idea blossomed in his mind.

"Gottfried, have you ever worked at the castle?" Gottfried straitened, his chest puffing with a quiver of imperial pride.

"My services have often been called on by the royal family." He said with dignity and satisfaction. Kristoff looked at Gottfried hopefully.

"Then do you think you can get me inside the castle gates? That's all the help I'll ask from you." The tailor blinked up at Kristoff. His eyes moved over the desperate expression in Kristoff's eyes and at the tea cup as it rattled in its saucer from the slight quiver of tension in Kristoff's grip.

"To do what ?" Gottfried asked.

"To stop whatever is in the castle." Kristoff answered with firm determination.

"In that case," the tailor said, pausing to sip his tea, "We have work to do."

...

Later that night Kristoff and Sven bedded down in the tailor's fitting room, the only space large enough to accommodate them both. Kristoff stared up at the dressing stand and paneled mirror, remembering the evening when he'd believed it might be possible to win the right to love Anna with a dance. It didn't seem so simple now. He drifted into sleep with his head cradled on Sven's side and he dreamed.

.

He rode Sven through a dark expanse of forest. The landscape was blanketed in night with speckles of light like a pointillist painting. There was something he was searching for.

.

Anna slept uneasily within the stillness of the castle. The wet warmth of an early spring night pervaded her dream. She could smell the early crocuses that were peeking out of the crumbling snow banks. The sound of hoof-beats over the wet earth reached her and she turned her head to see her little pony trotting toward her. The horse wickered a soft greeting and nudged Anna's hand with her muzzle. The short whiskers under her chin tickled Anna's palm. Then the horse's ears flickered, hearing some noise that failed to reach Anna. The pony's wicker turned to a grunt of impatience as she pushed Anna toward her back. Anna looked at the horse with confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked. The little Fjord gave a short neigh and struck at the mucky earth with her foreleg, whipping small clumps of soggy grass into the air. Anna tried to back away. "Girl, I can't ride you. I don't know where your saddle is." She explained, but the horse would not be refused. She twisted around Anna, nudging and pushing her, always presenting the broad flat of her back until Anna gave in and clambered, grumbling, onto her. No sooner had she wound her fingers through the course mane then they were off, galloping through the night.

"Whoa! Slow down girl!" Anna tugged on the horse's mane, sitting as deeply as she could, but without bit or bridle there was nothing she could do to stop their headlong rush through the trees. Anna gritted her teeth and ducked low on the pony's back, clinging as best she could. She could feel the horse's muscles sliding and pulling under the thick fur beneath her. The grip she held was barely enough to counteract the pull of gravity as they flew through the forest.

Finally they reached a clearing and the pony slowed. Anna stumbled off, relieved to be free of the wild gallop. She staggered, trying to get her bearings when she felt something that pulled her forward. She hesitantly stepped into the heavy grass looking for whatever had called to her. The sound of open water reached her ears and she realized that she was not far from an overlook she'd visited as a child with her parents. There was a glorious view of the Fjord and the castle below. She tripped through the hillocks and brambles until she found the cliff edge and the view she remembered. The night sky was glorious and the soft outline of the castle was visible in the milky light. She stared transfixed for a moment before turning back, this was not what had called to her. Uncertainty filled her until a figure stepped out of the trees. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized him.

"Kristoff." She breathed and began a headlong rush toward him. They met and Kristoff swept her up into his arms spinning her around. Anna clung to him, looking into his eyes, hardly able to believe it was him. He smiled at her as he clasped her waist and stooped to kiss her softly. Anna traced his lips with her fingers, running her hand along the edge of his jaw as tears of joy flowed from her eyes.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She whispered, still horrified by the idea of a lifetime without Kristoff. He laughed gently.

"You know me better than that." He grinned. They were still lost in each other when the wind kicked up a spray of sea foam over the cliff face. Anna flinched and turned to see a thundercloud that blocked out the night sky as it raced toward the mainland. She cried out in fear and tugged Kristoff toward the sheltering cover of the forest. He pulled her back and yelled into the sudden roar of the wind,

"There's no time." He clung to her, wrapping both arms around to shelter her from the sudden impact of the storm. Anna cried out in terror as the lighting struck around them and the wind whipped and pulled them toward the cliff edge. Kristoff's grip on her steadied the frantic beating of her heart as they stopped just before the cliff edge. He leaned down and she could taste the sweetness of his scent the moment before his lips closed over hers. Instantly, the wind picked up to the level of a hurricane, screaming and tugging as it threatened to topple them over the cliff edge. There was an overwhelming terror in Anna's heart, but Kristoff wrapped her more securely in his arms and held her safe from the grasp of the storm. A screaming black presence raced toward them in the thundercloud. Anna tried to turn to catch sight of whatever was spinning above them, but Kristoff shook his head and whispered,

"Don't let go." against her lips. He spread his legs, bracing them against the horrific force and kissed her more deeply, winding his fingers into the whipping strands of her hair. The malevolent force screamed in fury and yet the strength of the storm, which was uprooting trees and tearing heavy chunks from the cliff face, had no power to separate them.

Anna's heart lightened and she relaxed into Kristoff, allowing her clenched fists to unfold as she wound her arms around his neck and pressed her body to his. The storm reached a fever-pitch of impotent ferocity as they clung together and then, suddenly, died away to nothing. In the stillness Kristoff pulled back and looked down at Anna.

"That's how it's done, feisty-pants." He said softly as he pressed his forehead to hers and wrapped his hands around her waist. The darkness began to clear and the soft starlight speckling the dusky sky shone down on their entwined forms.

.

Anna awoke, her body warm and aching for the press of Kristoff's weight against her. The emptiness of the room and the blue-green light of the northern sky were all that greeted her, but the feeling of Kristoff; his presence and love did not leave her. Somehow she knew he wasn't far. She flipped her blanket back and padded to the window. She looked up at the night sky and a smile crept over her kiss bruised lips. The stars seemed to whisper to her;

_'Have courage. The night does not outlast the day and darkness cannot hold sway forever.'_


End file.
